The Prince Formerly Known as Loki
by Opal12
Summary: Fed up with his life at Asgard, Loki decides to strike out on his own, posing as a mortal. He then meets 15-year-old Tony Stark. A Loki-centric fic. Thorki/Thunderfrost in later chapters. Other pairings Steve/Tony, Bruce/Darcy, Loki/Darcy, Loki/Victor Von Doom SLASH.
1. So Long, and Thanks for All the Mead

Author's Notes: Hats off to my lovely beta reader Andraiyel. Thank you.

* * *

It was the night of Thor's coronation and Asgard was celebrating the golden prince's ascension to the throne. Everyone was taking part of the festivities, except Loki.

The younger prince was currently in his room, putting his books back on the shelves. He then took his time clearing his desk, arranging his papers and putting away his writing instruments. When his things were all accounted for, he fixed his bed and cleaned his blanket and pillows with magic. Loki swept his eyes around his chamber, looking for anything he may have missed. Seeing none, he closed the door and walked towards the Great Hall.

The young prince slipped into a chair reserved for him, near the dais where his parents were sitting. He glanced at Odin and Frigga. Odin was smiling, pride for his older son evident in his features. The same could be said of Frigga. Loki followed their gaze and spotted Thor raucously laughing with his fellow warriors at the other table.

A serving girl approached and gave Loki a goblet full of mead. He sipped his drink, not wishing to become inebriated. Loki idly looked around the room and noted all the revelers in the hall were already in various states of drunkenness. Usually watching the Aesir make fools of themselves was Loki's source of amusement during feasts, but tonight he paid them no heed. All his attention was focused on his brother.

Everyone in the hall was taking turns making toasts to Thor's reign. Loki could tell from the flushed look on the thunderer's face that he had already ingested copious amounts of alcohol. He figured Thor would probably be unconscious for the next few days at the rate he was drinking.

The trickster stayed for another hour, making small talk with Sif and Hogun. Numerous salutations and well wishes later, Loki was bored out of his mind. There were only so many variations to the words "peaceful", "prosperous", "joyful", and "successful" before it got repetitive. Some warriors skipped the words altogether and yelled something incoherent, while the rest shouted something equally incomprehensible back.

Loki rolled his eyes. It was torture listening to these drunken idiots. He walked over to his parents' table and asked to be excused. Instead of going to the direction towards his chambers, though, the god of mischief made for the door leading to the gardens. He was almost outside when a familiar voice rang out.

"Are you not staying for the rest of the feast, brother?" Thor asked, jogging towards the trickster.

Loki schooled his features into a pleasant mask before facing Thor. "I'm just going out for a walk." He gave his most reassuring smile, hoping it was enough to placate his older brother.

"Will you come back?" Thor pressed.

Loki gave a small shrug. "Perhaps."

Thor frowned. Loki usually gave him definite answers. The thunderer did not get to ponder his brother's vague response for too long; the other warriors were hollering at him to share another round of drinks with them.

"Go on. They're waiting for you," Loki said quietly.

Thor beamed and clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Loki gave his brother a faint smile in return and watched Thor resume his carousing with the guests. Even from a distance, Loki saw that his brother kept glancing back in his direction. Only when Thor was distracted by a particularly intoxicated reveler did Loki slip away.

The cold night air was a welcome reprieve from the hall's stuffy atmosphere. It helped soothe the god's nerves a bit.

Loki looked at the sky. The stars were especially bright tonight.

Out of all the realms he had visited, none displayed the splendor of the cosmos like Asgard. The view made Loki pause. All of a sudden, the magnitude of what he was about to do hit him. He was about to leave the place that he had considered home all his life.

It would be so easy to abandon his plan, go back inside, and just stay.

'It's not like I'll be missed anyway,' Loki thought somberly, as he resumed walking towards Idunn's orchard. He stopped when he finally reached his favorite apple tree. The trickster laid his hand on its bark, feeling the familiar roughness underneath his fingers. All the time he had spent underneath its leaves, all the memories, good and bad, came flooding in.

Loki cursed. It wasn't like him to be so mawkish and sentimental. He couldn't afford to tarry any longer; Heimdall might be watching him right now.

Loki quickly murmured a spell, and a small black dot started growing. It wasn't long before it was big enough to let the god through. He spared one last look at the royal palace, its numerous lights casting a warm glow. He thought of his parents and his brother still celebrating inside. It only made the ache in his chest worse.

Leaving Asgard was much harder than he had anticipated.

It took a great deal of effort, but Loki managed to tear his gaze away. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the void.


	2. The Lord of Goats

Author's Notes: Tried my best to incorporate the Norse Myths and the Marvel Universe, mixed in with some of my own.

* * *

Loki figured if he was going to stay here at Midgard for good, he needed to erase every vestige of his past life.

The various knickknacks he had collected from his travels all around the Nine Realms were the first things to go. Months before Thor's coronation he had been making trips back and forth, selling his items piece by piece. Apparently most of them were quite rare in Midgard and fetched a high price. He wouldn't have to worry about money for at least a couple of decades, but he knew he had to get a job sooner or later.

Loki learned that Midgardians had this fixation on going to school and earning a degree in order to earn a decent living. It did not bother him that much; in fact he wanted to take up studying again. Thor always teased him about it; his brother had never understood why he preferred reading instead sparring or going on adventures. At least Thor saw his love for learning as just another one of his idiosyncrasies; the rest of the Aesir saw it as another flaw in Loki's long list of defects.

The god of mischief ran a hand through his hair absently. He had gotten a haircut yesterday, asking the barber to cut it short. It felt odd having the back of his neck exposed and his head felt unnaturally light. If anyone from Asgard saw him now they probably would not have recognized him.

Loki was currently reading a book about world mythology, having signed up for the class on a whim. It was all fine and good when he was reading about the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, but it went downhill fast when he reached the Norse chapter.

"I have six children? How did that happen?" he burst out. According to the story he had given birth to Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, fathered a giant wolf, a colossal snake, a half-dead girl, and two "normal" sons. He then supposedly led the wolf, the snake, the girl, and the undead into an epic battle where everyone pretty much died.

Loki grimaced. He knew he had been asking for trouble when he had burned down those monasteries a thousand years ago. It would appear that those seemingly harmless monks had been the type to hold a grudge.

The trickster picked up a physics book, hoping it would take his mind off what he had just read. He didn't get to more than a couple of pages when the door banged open, startling him.

A boy not more than fifteen barged in, carrying a big box. He stopped short when he saw Loki.

"You must be my roommate." The boy dropped the box on the floor with a thump. He approached Loki, sizing him up.

Loki stood. The two just stared at each other for a few moments.

The boy broke the silence first. "Damn you're tall." He said it with a trace of irritation in his voice. The boy had not hit his growth spurt yet, and it was obvious that particular fact irked him to no end. He was the youngest that Loki had encountered in this place so far, a mere babe. He reminded him of Thor back when he was little, all bluster and swagger, trying so hard to be taken seriously by the adults. Loki fought the urge to pat him on the head.

"Do you know who I am?" the boy demanded, his expression serious.

"No. Should I?" replied Loki, casually.

The boy looked surprised, not expecting that kind of answer. He searched Loki's face for any trace of sarcasm or pretense. Finding none, he smiled and stuck out a hand.

"My name's Tony Stark."

"I'm Tom Smith," Loki said, his fake name rolling off his tongue so easily. It looked like he had passed the boy's test. He shook Tony's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Ditto. Excuse me for a sec, I need to supervise the people moving my stuff."

It turned out Tony's "stuff" was a lot. He brought a tv that covered an entire wall, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, a stereo system, a bean bag, a coffeemaker, a toaster, bags full of coffee capsules, three pieces of luggage, plus that large box he was carrying earlier. Loki sneaked a peek and found, to his amusement, that it was filled with Captain America comics.

"Are you a foreign exchange student or something?" Tony asked conversationally, as he finished plugging in all his appliances. "I bet you're from England, with that posh accent of yours. That's awesome," he continued, talking a mile a minute.

Loki's lips twitched. Foreign exchange student indeed.

"Anyway," Tony sat down on his bed, directly across Loki's, "since we're gonna be roomies, let me lay down the law." He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Rule number one, don't touch my inventions. Rule number two, don't touch my comics. Everything else, help yourself. I have to warn you about the coffeemaker though, it tends to overheat if you use it more than six times under an hour. I'm still working out the kinks." Tony got up and switched on the aforementioned machine. It bubbled and hissed noisily.

"Do you want some?"

"That would be nice." Loki had heard of coffee before. He remembered Thor singing praises about this particular Midgardian drink. Tony handed him a cup. Loki took a tentative sip, wincing at the taste.

Tony snickered. "Too strong for you? I usually take mine without sugar. Sorry about that."

The god wondered why anyone would willingly drink this vile beverage. 'Besides, I'm bitter enough as it is,' Loki thought sardonically as he pushed his cup away. "I think I'll stick to tea, thanks."

Tony grinned over the rim of his cup. "You won't be saying that when the finals roll around. Trust me, you'll be chugging down this stuff in no time."

Loki made a noncommittal sound. "Any more rules I should know about?"

"That's it. Oh, wait. I don't have a normal sleep schedule and I like to play loud music, so I suggest buying earplugs. Other than that, I'm pretty easy to live with. I think," Tony said, giving Loki a toothy grin.

The trickster smiled back. "Good to know."

"So, what about you? Any crazy shit I should know about? Because I've heard some serious horror stories about roommates from hell."

Loki shook his head. "No, I'm just a normal guy."

Tony looked relieved. "Hallelujah for that. I was afraid I'd get a weirdo roommate."

Loki gave a forced laugh. Luckily, Tony didn't notice.

* * *

Loki's alarm blared at 8 am, waking them both. Tony went back to sleep, but not before giving the god the stink eye.

"Sorry," muttered Loki as he stumbled into the bathroom to take a shower. Fifteen minutes later he found Tony still in bed.

"Don't you have a class at 9?" Loki poked at the Tony-shaped lump. It wriggled out of his reach.

"Five more minutes."

"Tony, it's the first day of classes. Don't you want to start the semester right?" Loki asked in his patient-yet-firm voice. He employed this tone whenever Thor didn't want to get out of bed. He found that it usually worked, more so if combined with a basin of ice-cold water.

Tony looked at him blearily. "God, you sound like my mom," he griped. "Ok, I'm getting up."

Loki watched as Tony staggered out of bed. But instead of heading for the bathroom, he flopped on his bean bag and reached for a box of pop tarts. The trickster looked at Tony incredulously.

"What?" Tony asked, as he switched on the television. Mistaking Loki's expression, he tossed a foil-wrapped pastry at the god. "Pop tarts, aka the Breakfast of Champions. Enjoy."

Loki sighed. He had a feeling this would become a routine every morning for them.

"Hey cool, Rocko's Modern Life is on. I love this show," Tony commented, while munching on his pop tart. He noticed Loki hadn't opened his yet. "Don't you like pop tarts? It's blueberry."

Aside from coffee, Loki recalled Thor blathering about a Midgardian food called pop tarts. He looked at the pastry with unease, but he finally relented when Tony kept looking at him expectantly.

"Well? Do you like it?" Tony queried.

Loki kept chewing. "It's passable, I guess. It's almost too sweet."

"Only passable? Man, you're hard to please," Tony remarked. "So you don't like coffee or pop tarts. Are you sure you're from planet Earth?"

Loki almost choked.

"What's this show about?" Loki asked suddenly, trying to change the subject. The cartoon showed a group of anthropomorphic animals, consisting of a short kangaroo, a cow, and a family of wolves.

"It's about a wallaby from Australia who leaves his family and comes to America, trying to strike out on his own."

"You don't say," Loki said tightly.

Tony glanced at his roommate. "You alright? You look a little green."

"I'm fine." The god suddenly found the pastry in his hand fascinating.

"This is one of my favorite episodes. Heffer, the cow over there, finds out he's adopted by wolves and then he runs away. It's hilarious."

Loki watched the cow cry while the wolf parents fumbled for words. "How is this funny?" he asked. His voice sounded hoarse even to him.

"Um, because it's so obvious? They're not even the same species." Tony looked at Loki, baffled at his sudden change of mood.

The trickster started packing his books. "I need to go. My class is on the other side of the campus." He was out the door before Tony could reply.

* * *

Loki arrived in his World Mythology class just in time. Even though there were plenty of empty seats at the front, he chose to sit at the back near the exit.

The professor, a short and pudgy man in his mid-60's strolled in not long after, and gave his introduction.

"Now this might seem a little unorthodox since a mythology class usually starts with the Greek and Roman deities, but for today let's start with the Norse gods. Let's mix it up a bit."

'This day just gets better and better,' Loki thought sourly as he watched the professor start his PowerPoint presentation. Naturally Odin was first. The facts about him were correct, more or less. The people who wrote about the All-Father were probably scared stiff of Odin's wrath.

Loki perked up, though, when the professor started discussing Thor.

"Thor was the mightiest of the Aesir and their staunch protector against frost giants. He was exceptionally strong, but rather naïve and dim-witted."

Loki couldn't help but laugh at that; it described the thunderer perfectly. He masked his sounds of mirth by pretending to have a coughing fit. The professor looked up from his notes, scanning the room for the noisy student. Loki immediately stopped. Satisfied, the professor resumed his lecture.

A picture of Thor came up, the god of thunder riding a chariot being pulled by two goats. The caption underneath stated: Thor, Lord of Goats.

It took less than three seconds of holding it in before Loki started cracking up, his guffaws echoing across the room. The professor shot him a displeased, yet resigned look. Every semester, he always encountered a problem student. But it looked like this one was going to be more troublesome than the others.

"I'm glad you find my lecture entertaining Mr…?"

"Smith," Loki supplied, still chuckling.

"Would you like to share your thoughts with the class?"

"No. I don't think you're going to like it very much."

"But I insist, Mr. Smith."

Loki snorted at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. 'I can't believe I'm going to argue about goats.' "Very well, since you _insisted_."

"Thor does not ride a chariot to battle, and certainly not one pulled by two goats. Good luck training a goat from Asgard to do that. It is the most cantankerous, ill-tempered animal out there. It will not hesitate to gore your genitals if you get too close," Loki said humorlessly. The whole class started laughing, much to the professor's consternation. Loki pushed on, ignoring them. "Volstagg tried to approach one once. Let's just say he's fortunate that gods can regenerate body parts."

"Pray tell then, how did Thor travel?" the professor asked, trying to trip Loki up.

"With Mjolnir of course," Loki responded in a tone that suggested that the professor was a complete moron. "He flies using his hammer. If he's feeling especially ostentatious, he'll do it with flashes of lightning preceded by booming thunder. The oaf is hardly ever subtle," he groused.

The professor gave a strained smile. "Er. Thank you for those remarkable tidbits Mr. Smith." He shuffled his notes, flustered by Smith's exposition. But to his credit, he rallied pretty quickly.

"Thor was described as fierce-eyed, red-haired and red-bearded…" he continued, but was again interrupted by Loki.

"No he's not," the trickster said crossly. "He's blond. Why do you think the Vikings prized blond hair so much? They even had a special soap to make their hair lighter."

Then Loki's expression softened. When he spoke again, it was almost reverent. "His eyes rival the seas of Vanaheim. There is nary a trace of malice or guile in them. His hair is like spun gold and his smile is brighter than all the stars above Yggdrasil…" Loki trailed off when he noticed the class had gone quiet and everyone was staring at him. Perhaps he had said it more passionately than he had intended.

"Uh, never mind. Please continue," Loki mumbled. Waxing poetic about Thor in front of these mortals was embarrassing, to say the least. 'And I'm supposed to be mad at the idiot,' the god thought irritably.

The professor started skipping the slides containing Thor, hoping that it would prevent another outburst from Smith. The teenager clearly had an unhealthy obsession with the god of thunder.

"Let's move on to Loki, god of mischief," the professor said, casting a wary glance at his disruptive student.

The trickster, for his part, was now looking at the slides with detached interest. The picture showed him with a beard and he was wearing his horned helmet.

'Well at least they got my helmet right. And they put a beard on me. That counts for something.' His facial hair wasn't as impressive as Thor's or Odin's though.

Seeing Loki wasn't about to interfere again, the professor visibly relaxed.

"Loki was handsome in appearance but cunning and devious. He had two wives, the first one was a giantess named Angrboda. Their union produced three monstrous children. He was a mischief-maker and trickster and grew progressively more evil until the Aesir bound him in a cave until the coming of Ragnarok."

The professor glanced at the clock at the back of the room. He almost gave a whoop of joy when he saw the hour was almost up.

"So my students, the takeaway for today is to never go for looks alone. Just look at Loki. Class dismissed."

* * *

"You ran out this morning like a bat out of hell. What was that all about?" Tony said, passing Loki a bag of popcorn.

Tony and Loki were at their Film Appreciation class, ignoring the "No Food or Drink" signs plastered all over the classroom. They were sitting at the back, watching Braveheart.

"I realized I was not going to make it on time if I didn't hurry. I'm sorry." Loki gave Tony an apologetic smile.

Tony nodded in understanding. "No sweat. So, how was your first class?"

"It was…interesting. How about you?"

"I was late. Then again, I don't really give a shit. I already know most of the stuff in the syllabus anyway," Tony said matter-of-factly.

They both stopped talking when the Scots started to moon the English. The English retaliated by shooting arrows at them, one of the Scots getting hit in the ass. Tony started laughing his head off, earning him a glare from the professor.

"I didn't know the Scots invented mooning," Tony sniggered.

"I don't think this movie is historically accurate, Tony."

"Yeah, but they made it look so badass." Tony wiggled his eyebrows, looking at Loki expectantly.

"What?"

"Bad ass? Get it?"

Loki just stared at him blankly, not following at all. Tony made an annoyed sound.

"As my roommate, it is mandatory that you laugh at my jokes no matter how lame they are. You're going to be hearing a lot of them," Tony ordered.

Loki snorted. "Lucky me."


	3. Sympathy for the Devil

Flyting- an exchange of insults in verse. In the myths, Loki loved to do this, much to everyone's annoyance.

Spot the movie quotes.

* * *

"You dress like an accountant," Tony said, while watching Loki button his oxford shirt.

Loki raised an eyebrow. The god had been living with Tony for more than two months now, and he was still getting used to his roommate's many quirks.

For instance, he kept odd hours and played loud, obnoxious music far into the night. It was a struggle to jump-start Tony every morning; Loki had to cajole, threaten, bribe, and pretty much use every trick in the book to get the obstinate teenager out of bed. He went to class in his pajamas and was always late. Sometimes he declared it was a "Tony Day" and skipped school altogether; he tinkered with his gadgets or watched cartoons instead.

Tony also had an intense fondness for takeout; their dorm room was littered with pizza boxes and burger wrappers. If Loki had not previously had Thor as a roommate (the god of thunder was known for many things, but being neat was not one of them), the trickster would have strangled Tony within the first week.

The foul-mouthed, fast-talking fifteen-year old often forgot to switch off his soldering gun, which led to his bed sheet, books, or homework to catch on fire. His coffeemaker frequently exploded from too much use (Tony consumed enough coffee to keep half a dozen people awake for days). And he talked. A lot. The trickster suspected that Tony loved the sound of his own voice.

Loki was going through boxes of earplugs like crazy.

"Says the guy who comes to class in pajamas and bunny slippers," Loki quipped.

Tony looked offended. "This is not a bunny," he said, waggling a bunny-encased foot. "This is a killer rabbit. Don't you see the big, pointy teeth?" It flapped its jaws menacingly, or at least as menacingly a stuffed rabbit slipper could. "Its got a vicious streak a mile wide," he said solemnly.

Loki and Tony cracked up. It went on for a few minutes.

"What's wrong with looking presentable?" Loki asked finally, wiping his eyes after laughing too hard.

"Nothing. But come on, you go to 7-Eleven wearing slacks and loafers. Who the heck does that?" Tony pulled out a shopping bag underneath his bed and handed it to Loki.

The god peered into the bag. It contained a pair of grey sweatpants. Loki looked at Tony questioningly.

"I'm spreading the sweatpants love!" Tony declared.

Loki looked at the garment with distaste. "Your goal is to make people look like slobs? You need to get your priorities straight, Tony."

"Tom I'm trying to help you out, so shut it and put the pants on," Tony commanded.

Loki glared at Tony and went inside the bathroom to change. When he came out, he looked a bit embarrassed. The god wasn't used to wearing casual clothes, but it felt nice. Liberating even.

"Well?"

"It's…comfortable," Loki conceded, albeit grudgingly.

Tony's shit-eating grin was priceless. "Told ya. You're getting a hoodie next."

"I'm not wearing these to class though," Loki said firmly. "Only on weekends," he added.

"Ok fine. It's a start," Tony replied, looking unbearably smug.

"I'm guessing you played dress up a lot as a child?" Loki asked from the bathroom door, while he changed back into his slacks.

"Very funny."

Loki chuckled. "Thanks for the pants," he said sincerely, as he made his way out.

Tony gave a small wave. "Later, dude."

* * *

The god walked to his World Mythology class, but his steps were unhurried. He wondered for the nth time why he never dropped the course, because it was getting to be more like a long and painful flyting. Loki had participated in quite a few over the centuries, often reducing those he insulted into a sobbing mess afterwards. 'What goes around, comes around I guess,' he thought grimly. He sat in his usual seat, mentally steeling himself for another hour of hearing his name get dragged in the mud.

"Good morning everyone. Today we're going to discuss Ragnarök, the doom of the Norse gods." The professor glanced at the trickster from his podium, gauging his reaction. Observing Smith's neutral expression, he did not know whether to be comforted or running for the hills right now. He swallowed nervously, and then started his lecture.

"Loki was at first a mischievous and playful prankster, but he became so dark and twisted that his malice threatened the stability of the world and precipitated Ragnarök. He was a catalyst of evil and spawned three fearsome monsters. His children were Fenrir, a giant wolf, Jormungand, a massive serpent, and Hel, the goddess of the dead. The gods imprisoned Loki in a cave where a snake continuously dripped venom over his face, causing him to writhe in pain. He would eventually break free, triggering events that would lead to the end of the world."

The professor looked at Smith again. The student was still unnervingly quiet. So far, so good.

"After a terrible winter lasting three years, a final battle would be fought between the Aesir and the Jotuns. Fenrir would kill Odin and Thor would succumb to Jormungand. The Nine Realms were to become raging furnaces as gods, frost giants, the dead, the living, monsters, dwarfs, elves and animals were all to be reduced to ashes, and the earth would sink beneath the boiling ocean."

A painting of the aforementioned event appeared, showing Thor in the middle of the skirmish with his cape billowing behind him. The artist threw in a couple of naked women for a more dramatic effect.

'Those damned goats again. Unbelievable,' Loki snorted, when he saw the god of thunder's mode of transportation. 'And what is it with Midgardians and the end of the world?' he wondered. He raised a hand. The professor pretended to ignore him, but Loki spoke anyway.

"I don't know why mortals are so preoccupied with the end of days. Your lives are short enough as it is," the god remarked. "Besides, you don't need mythical creatures or great fireballs from the sky to wipe out all life on this planet. You people are doing fine on your own," he pointed out.

"Also," he continued, "there is no such thing as Ragnarök. It is simply a tale fabricated by a group of silly monks because they bore a grudge against Loki."

A classmate sitting two rows ahead turned around and gave the god a patronizing look. "Oh, so our resident Norse nut has a direct line with Loki. Are you chummy with him or something?"

"Perhaps," Loki replied. The smile that Loki gave his classmate could only be described as feral. He laughed inwardly when the guy shuddered and averted his eyes, clearly freaked out.

The professor wanted to continue his lecture, but Loki silenced him with a look.

"It is unfair that Loki is portrayed as the villain in the myths. Yes, he is mischievous, but never evil. He played tricks for a reason; his purpose was to teach a lesson to those who thought so highly of themselves." Loki was all worked up now, his tone harsh and full of vehemence. The whole class was listening to the god's fervent monologue, hanging on to his every word.

"God of lies?" Loki scoffed, "he is more truthful than most Aesir. Loki knows he is flawed; he never pretended to be perfect, unlike the rest of the gods. He was not afraid to point out their shortcomings, or when they were being hypocritical." Loki paused, his voice growing soft. "He loved and protected Asgard; he repeatedly risked his life for her benefit. Many times he saved her from ruin. But the Aesir continued to treat Loki poorly; he never measured up to their standards." The trickster looked down at his lap. He paused again, struggling to get the words out. "Then one day he couldn't bear it anymore. So he went away."

"A god can grow tired and disillusioned, just like everyone else," Loki said quietly.

Loki drew a shaky breath. He could not stand to stay another minute in the room, so he gathered his things quickly and left.

* * *

The trickster arrived at his Film Appreciation class and found Tony slumped over a table, snoozing. "Hey Tony. The movie's starting," he said, tapping the teenager awake.

Tony wiped the drool from his face. "Wonder what kind of shitty movie we have to watch today," he mumbled. Ocean waves appeared on the screen. "Maybe it's about surfing," Tony mused, suddenly interested. He made an enraged sound when he saw the opening credits.

"Point Break?! Are you kidding me? I didn't get out of bed this morning to watch Keanu Reeves!" Tony exclaimed. He started throwing popcorn at the screen in protest. "Goddamnit. I'd rather watch a Michael Bay movie!"

"Mr. Stark! This is not Rocky Horror Picture Show. And no eating in the classroom," the professor barked. She stomped over and confiscated Tony's bag of popcorn. Tony promptly took another one out from his backpack and proceeded to eat as noisily as possible. He chewed with his mouth open, smacked his lips, and shook the bag like a maraca. The professor looked ready to explode.

"Do you make it your life's mission to antagonize your teachers?" Loki inquired, grabbing himself a handful.

Tony snickered. "Let them get pissed. That's what they are being paid for," he replied airily.

They watched in mute horror as Keanu Reeves aka Johnny Utah proclaimed the immortal line:

"I AM AN F…B…I…...AGENT!"

"Holy shit, he spelled FBI right! That's an Oscar performance right there!" Tony gushed. Everybody cracked up.

"Mr. Stark!"

"I can't help it! I'm so moved by his stellar acting."

Nobody took the movie seriously after that. The class kept bursting into giggles whenever Keanu uttered his lines. It didn't help that Tony kept on doing his running commentary. No one was sympathetic when Bodhi, Patrick Swayze's character, died and Keanu threw his badge into the water, dismayed at how his life turned out.

"Don't forget, you all have a paper due on Monday. Is Bodhi a tragic figure or a manipulative degenerate? Argue both points," the professor called out after her students, who were all very eager to get the hell out of there.

"That movie sucked serious donkey balls," Tony said, as soon as they were out of the professor's earshot.

Loki nodded. "Definitely."

* * *

Loki went back to their room, done with school for the day while Tony went to his Mechanical Engineering class. He switched on his laptop and started typing his paper about Point Break, taking advantage of not having the noisy teenager around to distract him.

The trickster finished his homework quickly, putting in all the usual hogwash the professor liked to read about. Loki then decided to work on his final paper for his World Mythology class, which was due next month. 'Might as well get this whole sad affair over with,' he thought resignedly. The assignment was to type a 20-page analysis of any deity in the syllabus.

He first thought of choosing one the Greek gods. In Loki's opinion, Zeus and his ilk were the worst of the bunch. Loki did not understand why all the vitriol was directed solely at him; the Greek deities smote, raped, cursed, kidnapped, and generally made the mortals miserable for their own sick amusement. He only burned a couple of monasteries and yet he was depicted as a perverted psychopath who had a penchant for horses.

Loki sorely wished he had the power to resurrect those monks so he could set them on fire.

'And all this because they insulted my helmet.' If Loki had known his headgear was going to cause all this ignominy, he would have chucked it a long time ago.

He drummed his fingers on his desk, thinking. 'How about the All-Father?' he mused. 'Odin is a scheming, lying old coot,' he typed. 'He's an abysmal parent, and his manner of rearing his sons leaves much to be desired. For an omniscient being, he is maddeningly incompetent when it comes to dealing with family matters.'

Loki grimaced and deleted the whole thing. If he did not stop now, he was going to write a whole treatise about the All-Father's superb parenting skills. The trickster thought about the god of thunder. He scowled and started typing furiously.

'Thor is an ungrateful, philandering wretch. The oaf never cared for anyone but himself; he only thinks about bedding wenches or attaining glory. He has this propensity for starting wars, yet the Aesir continue to blindly adore the idiot. They bloody well deserve each other. Thor can go throw himself off a cliff for all I care; I'm sick of saving his hide every time he gets into trouble. Good riddance to bad rubbish.'

The trickster deleted everything again then slammed his laptop shut in disgust. He was running out of ideas; the rest of the gods were not interesting enough for him to be able to meet the page requirement.

Unless…

'Why not? Who can write a better paper about the trickster than me?' Loki thought. He was not doing this to pump his ego; he only wanted to set the record straight. His fingers started to fly across the keyboard.

'Aside from being the god of mischief, Loki is the god of change. He is the antithesis of the Aesir, because he always challenged the status quo. Out of all beings, the Aesir are the ones most resistant to change. It is no surprise that Loki is often at odds with them; he cannot stand the monotony and stagnation that pervade the Eternal Realm. The Aesir believe that as gods, they are already perfect in every way; that there is nothing else to improve. That is far from the truth. In reality, they very much possess the same foibles a mortal has, if not more. Loki had no qualms reminding them of that fact, and the gods despised him for it…' the trickster typed. It was not long before Loki went over the page limit; he had to edit out some of his more colorful invectives against the Aesir.

The god leaned back on his chair, satisfied with his work. He rubbed his face tiredly as he emailed the document. 'Well, that was somewhat cathartic,' he thought.

His professor would be the only person to read it and would likely just dismiss his paper as the ravings of a lunatic, but for Loki, it was enough.


	4. Have Tony, Will Snark

Author's Notes: Underage drinking, wonky timeline

MIT- Massachusetts Institute of Technology

* * *

The god of mischief was outside his dorm room, keys in one hand and a takeout bag in the other. The whole building was deserted, save for him and Tony. Loki recalled it had something to do with Midgardians congregating once a year to eat poultry.

He found Tony still in bed, burrowed under the covers. The trickster wondered if Tony was sick. It was one thing to sleep all morning; but it was already past four in the afternoon, and Tony had not moved from his spot all day. It was disconcerting to see the perpetually rowdy teenager so subdued.

"Hey, I got you some food," Loki said, nudging Tony's shoulder.

No response.

Loki tried again. "Aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten all day."

"I'm okay. Really," Tony mumbled, scooting nearer the wall and burying his face against a pillow. That worried Loki even more.

Right. If there was one thing that could coax Tony out of bed, it was a cheeseburger. Loki unwrapped it and dangled it on top of Tony's head, hoping the smell would rouse him.

It worked. Tony turned around and looked at the cheeseburger longingly. He made a grab for it, but Loki was quicker.

"If you want it, you have to sit up. You might choke," Loki said, keeping the food out of reach.

Tony grumbled under his breath, but complied nonetheless. He looked like he had gone through a wringer; his eyes were bloodshot and his face was puffy. Loki handed him the burger, fries, and soda without saying a word. He waited for Tony to finish eating. It didn't take long; Tony practically inhaled his food.

"What's going on Tony?" Loki probed, his tone gentle.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Tony answered dully, staring at the empty burger wrapper in his hand.

Loki sat down on the bean bag, making himself comfortable. Just like everything else with Tony, drawing out answers from the teenager was a long and arduous process. The god tried a less direct line of questioning. "I thought you'd go home since it's a long weekend. Isn't that the usual Thanksgiving custom?"

Tony fidgeted under Loki's gaze. He never liked talking about personal matters, but for some reason he felt like he could say anything to the young man sitting in front of him. "My parents died in a car accident a few months ago. It's my first Thanksgiving without them," he confessed. His face suddenly crumpled, after realizing what he just said. Somehow, saying it out loud made the loss of his family all the more real. He turned away, rubbing his eyes with the hem of his shirt.

"There's no point going home if there is no one to come home to," Tony said finally.

Loki didn't know what else to say. He laid a tentative hand on Tony's arm, hoping it would give him some comfort.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's ok." Tony gave Loki a watery smile. "I'm just glad you're here. I don't like being alone," he admitted. The god couldn't help but admire the kid for putting up a brave front. The two were quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"What about you? What's your sob story?"

"What do you mean?" Loki asked, keeping his expression neutral.

Tony just gave him a put-upon look. "You never get any calls from your family or anything. Did something happen to them too?"

"No," Loki responded hurriedly, "nothing like that." He didn't want to talk about it, but it wasn't fair to leave Tony hanging either. "I'm not on speaking terms with my parents right now," the god explained.

"Why? What happened?"

Loki shrugged, trying to be casual about it. "They kept the truth from me. I found out I was adopted from somebody else." His demeanor was calm, but he kept fiddling with the ring on his finger. "I've always known that there was something a bit…off, but still. I deserved to know." He gave a wry grin. "So here I am."

Tony nodded in understanding. "At least you still have your parents. Related by blood or not, they're still your family," he pointed out. "You can't stay mad at them forever."

"I suppose," came the god's noncommittal reply. Loki didn't expect someone like Tony to give sage advice. The trickster studied his roommate more closely; he realized that underneath all the swearing and sarcasm was a boy wise beyond his years.

The moment was broken when Tony's stomach gave a loud growl.

"I'm still hungry," Tony moaned.

Loki let out a chuckle, glad that the old Tony was back. "There's a restaurant that serves turkey nearby. Do you want to go? My treat."

"Awesome. I'll go change," Tony said, his mood considerably improved. "Can we also go see a movie after dinner? Please?"

"Sure. Whatever you want Tony."

* * *

"You need help with those?" Tony asked, as Loki struggled to close the door with his foot, arms laden with plastic bags. Not waiting for a reply, Tony took a couple and looked inside.

"Woah, what's all this stuff?" Tony pulled out a spatula, looking at it like he had never seen one before. "What's this thing?" He started examining a rectangular pan with a plug attached to it.

"It's an electric skillet," replied Loki distractedly. The trickster was trying to figure out where to put all his books and papers to make room for his new stuff. It was not an easy feat; what with Tony's gadgets taking over all the available space in the room.

"I'm going to teach myself how to cook," the god announced, after everything was settled.

Tony cocked his head to one side, looking amused. "Is this because of a bad burrito you had a few weeks ago?"

Loki shuddered at the memory; the mere thought of a burrito made his stomach churn. "I'm getting heartburn Tony. A man cannot subsist on microwave dinners alone, you know."

"But eating junk is part of the whole college experience," Tony argued. "Hey! Leave my pop tarts alone." He glowered at Loki as he fished the pastries out of the trash can.

"Here," Loki said, handing Tony a bag of blueberries. "It wouldn't kill you if you eat real fruit once in a while."

"What are you talking about? Pop tarts are baked with real fruit. It says so on the box." Tony shook the package in front of Loki's face for emphasis.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Read the small print. It only contains ten percent fruit. I've seen credit card interest rates with higher percentages."

"Next thing I know, you're going to force me to eat salad," Tony groused.

"That's not a bad idea. You're fifteen years old; your body needs nutrients."

Tony looked mutinous. "You eat ice cream more than three times a day and you bust my balls over what I eat? And where the hell does it all go anyway? You should weigh, like, four hundred pounds by now."

Loki was not listening. He was too busy thumbing through a cookbook. "I'll start with scrambled eggs. It sounds easy enough for a novice to make," he said conversationally.

Tony threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. If I'm going to eat rabbit food, you're eating it too."

"Fair enough," Loki said, a smile tugging his lips. "By the way, do you know how to cook?"

"No, and I have no intention of learning," Tony replied peevishly.

"Why not? It's a useful skill."

"Billionaires don't cook. Asking me to cook is like breaking a law of the universe. And for the record, coercing a fifteen year old to operate a dangerous device is very irresponsible on your part. Shame on you, Tom," Tony admonished seriously.

Loki stared at the teenager incredulously. "Tony, you solder pieces of metal around flammable materials. How is using an electric skillet more dangerous?"

Tony gazed at his roommate like a hurt woodland creature, all wide eyes and innocence. "But I don't want to cook," he whined. "I'll invent anything you want, just don't ask me that. You're not going to let me starve are you? You're not that cruel," he said in a small voice.

Loki gave a long-suffering sigh. He had a better chance persuading Fandral to stop wenching than convincing Tony to take up cooking. At least he managed to sway the self-proclaimed billionaire to eat healthy. "Oh alright, you'll be my test subject then. Maybe I should have you sign a waiver or something," the god pondered.

"Best. Roommate. Ever."

"Kiss ass."

* * *

_Five years later…_

"Aw man, we're late," Tony said, knocking on the door.

The two were standing outside a fellow dorm mate's room, waiting for the host to let them in. From the sounds emanating from within, the end of the semester party was already in full swing.

Loki snorted. "Since when have you cared about being punctual over anything?"

"Anything that's not school-related," Tony wisecracked. He started pounding on the door, eager to get in.

"Yeah I'm coming!" yelled someone from the other side. The door opened, revealing a tanned guy sporting a buzz cut. "Hey it's Bert and Ernie! I mean, Tom and Tony! Glad you guys made it," he said, ushering them inside.

"Real cute, Duke," Loki retorted, handing Duke the chips and dip they brought.

"Soooooo, where's the booze?" Tony said, without preamble.

"Follow me." They went to the bathroom. Several people were gathered around the bathtub, ladling violet liquid into paper cups.

"Gentlemen, I present to you Purple Jesus," Duke said, flourishing the drink like it was vintage wine instead of cheap vodka and grape juice. Before he handed Loki a cup, he stopped. "Hold up, you're legal right? I'm already putting my ass on the line with Tony here," he said, jerking a thumb at the billionaire. While Duke was not looking, Tony had managed to finagle not one but two cups in just under a minute.

Loki wanted to say that he was older than the fellow the drink was named after, but he nodded instead. "I'm twenty-three. Do you want to see my ID for verification?" he said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Just checking. MIT is full of child prodigies with fake mustaches running around the place. Fooled me a couple of times," Duke said, chortling. He saw Tony was guzzling the stuff like there was no tomorrow. "Careful. This drink goes down easy, but kicks like a horse afterwards," he warned.

"I've had stronger drinks than this," Loki said, remembering the mead back in Asgard. The first time he had tried mead, he had been unconscious for a week. He took a generous swig of Purple Jesus. It tasted pretty good, considering it came out of a bathtub. He refilled his cup to the brim.

Duke shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Tony was still happily chugging down the hooch. "Damn Duke, this has more Jesus than purple in it. You're a genius, the Da Vinci of Drinks," he babbled, already a bit tipsy.

Duke guffawed loudly. "Thanks."

"See? He laughs at my jokes, but you still don't after all these years. We gotta work on that," Tony slurred, leaning on Loki.

"If you start vomiting, I'm leaving you out in the hallway," Loki threatened.

"Killjoy."

"So, Tony, ready to take on the corporate world yet?" Duke asked.

Tony made a face. "Ugh. Don't remind me." He walked, or rather wobbled, towards a group of girls, abruptly ending the conversation.

"Don't mind him. He's lamenting the end of his carefree days," Loki said, watching his roommate do some drunken flirting. The girls, for their part, were observing Tony silently, like he was some peculiar science exhibit.

"Can't say I blame Tony. Guys our age only have to think about paying off our student loans and getting dates, but he has to worry about running one of the largest companies on the planet. And he can't even legally drink yet. The pressure must be intense," Duke said glibly.

"Yes, it is a heavy burden for someone so young," Loki agreed. "But Tony is capable of doing great things; he just needs a bit of guidance, that's all." The god refilled his cup again, not feeling the effects of the alcohol yet.

Tony in the meantime had sidled up to a pretty blonde, chatting her up in what he thought was a cool and suave manner. "Hey baby, I'll be your Burger King if you'll be my Dairy Queen," he said, giving her a saucy grin.

"Oh sweetie. I think you had too much to drink already," the blonde cooed, kindly patting him on the cheek.

Tony pouted. "What are you talking about? I'm stone cold sober," he retorted, his voice getting louder by the second.

Noticing that his friend was on the brink of an alcohol-induced tantrum, Loki was at his side in an instant. "Listen to the lady, Tony. You're drunk and she's out of your league," he said smoothly, while tugging him away from the girl.

"I'm Tony Damn Stark! I'm the one who is twenty thousand leagues above everybody else," the billionaire proclaimed. He tried to give Loki an intimidating glare, but it came out cross-eyed instead. "Why did you cockblock me? I was in the zone!"

"She must be at least six years older than you. That's why she's out of your league," Loki responded patiently.

"Can't believe this is the same guy who earned two PhDs in just a year," Duke sniggered. Tony flipped him off in retaliation. He then tried to wriggle out of Loki's iron grip.

"I think this is our cue to leave," Loki said, while holding a struggling Tony. He gave Duke an apologetic grin.

Tony immediately started protesting. "We just got here! And I wanna drink some more!" he howled.

"You'll be singing a different tune in the morning," Loki muttered. He steered his recalcitrant roommate to the exit, earning him sympathetic looks from the people in the room.

"Thanks for the invite Duke," the trickster called out, as he pushed Tony out the door.

* * *

'First heartburn and now this,' Loki thought. Being cut off from magic, as Tony put it, sucked serious donkey balls.

He really should have listened to Duke. The drink didn't just kick like a horse; it was more like Sleipnir's eight hooves were doing a rather enthusiastic Riverdance number inside his skull. Back in Asgard he had never experienced a hangover; his magic had taken care of it while he slept. Ever since he sealed his magic to prevent detection, he started feeling all kinds of bodily discomfort.

Loki was jolted out of his musings when he heard a loud thump, which sounded like a body hitting the floor. He cracked an eye open and saw Tony slowly crawling towards the fridge.

"You ok?" Loki asked. He tried to sit up, but his limbs wouldn't cooperate.

"Jesus kicked my ass," Tony croaked, after downing a gallon of water. "I feel like shit."

"Me too." Loki fumbled for the aspirin inside his bedside drawer. He swallowed a handful and tossed the bottle to Tony, who took it gratefully.

After an hour, the trickster felt more or less normal again. It pleased Loki to know that due to his Jotun physiology, his body still had the ability to recover quickly without the aid of magic.

Tony was not so lucky. He bitched and complained the whole time, interspersed with heartfelt groaning. "Why aren't you in agony?" he groused, as Loki set a plate of bacon and pancakes in front of him.

The god pretended to think for a moment. "Uh, because I didn't quaff half of the bathtub's contents like you did?"

"Smug bastard," Tony said, shoveling food into his mouth grumpily.

Another round of whining and bellyaching later, Tony finally agreed to go outside their room to get some fresh air. They sat on a bench near their dorm, Tony nursing a huge cup of coffee.

"You're evil, you know that?" Tony muttered. "Damn it birds, stop chirping!" he suddenly screamed at a tree. Several students strolling by gawked at Tony, and then started walking swiftly in the opposite direction.

"Are you still drunk?"

"I wish I was," Tony responded, twitching a bit.

"Can you believe we're graduating in a few days? Those five years went by fast," Loki commented.

"I guess," Tony responded, sullenly.

"You'll be fine, don't worry," Loki said encouragingly.

"Yeah, about that," Tony said, grim all of a sudden. "What are your plans? Did you get any job offers yet? Have you said yes to any of them?" he inquired, firing off questions like a machine gun.

Loki glanced at his roommate amusedly. "I've received several, mostly involving research. Hammer Industries offered me a six figure salary, actually," he admitted.

"If you're going to work for Justin Hammer, consider our friendship over," Tony said, aghast.

"I won't, the man is a scumbag. He wants me to divulge all the devices I've seen you make for the past few years," Loki replied. He patted Tony's knee. "Don't fret; your secrets are safe with me."

Tony smiled, but it contained a manic edge to it. "I got a better idea."

"Yes?" Loki said, looking at Tony expectantly.

"How about you work with me? As co-CEO of Stark Industries?" Tony said in a rush.

"Wait. What?" Loki thought he misheard Tony.

"I want you to be my co-chief executive officer," Tony said more slowly. "We'll be equal in every way. Well except I have veto power, just in case you go nuts," he explained. "I'll bang out brilliant inventions, you do the day-to-day stuff. Easy peasy," he said, beaming widely.

"Tony, I have a science degree. What do I know about running a company?" Loki returned skeptically.

Tony made a pfft noise. "So? I don't know jack shit about business either, yet people are expecting me to pull something spectacular out of my ass. Besides, not all CEOs went to business school; some of them didn't even graduate from college. We're the two smartest guys in MIT. How hard can it be?"

"There are other more proficient candidates out there," Loki reasoned. "You know, someone with actual experience?"

"What I need is someone I can trust," Tony countered. "Anyone can be competent at any job, given time and proper training. I figured someone who wakes me up every morning, cooks for me, and shoves salad down my throat is less likely to screw me over than some hotshot with a perfect résumé."

"You sure know how to make a guy feel special," Loki teased.

Tony scowled. "I'm being serious for once, so shut it." He was silent for a while, brooding. "Tom, I can't do this alone," he said softly.

"Tony…" Loki began, but Tony held up a hand.

"Hear me out. I'm a genius, but most of the time I do stupid shit without thinking. Sooner or later, I'm going to mess up everything my dad worked all his life for. I like you because you don't put up with my crap; you tell it like it is. You never cared for the Stark name or how much money I got. It's so hard to find a genuine person nowadays." Tony gave Loki a rueful smile. "Look, it's either you or I'm going to rely on a magic 8-ball for advice. I think you're the better choice," he joked.

Loki chuckled. "Thank you Tony, I'm very flattered." In fact, the god was blown away. He couldn't help but grin.

"When do we start?"


	5. The Science Soul Mate

Caltech- California Institute of Technology

* * *

_A year after his parents passed away, Tony Stark commissioned the construction of Stark Tower. Designed by the boy genius himself, it is the most expensive, technologically advanced building in the world. Located in the heart of Manhattan's business district, and a mere ten blocks away from the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building, it serves as the main headquarters of Stark Industries and Tony Stark's permanent residence. The striking, 1,138-foot tall building is comprised of ninety-three floors; seventy are allocated for office use while the top three floors serve as the billionaire's private quarters. Made with Vibranium reinforced concrete, Stark Tower can withstand category five hurricanes and magnitude eight earthquakes. Its notable features include an arc reactor that provides self-sustaining energy for the entire tower and JARVIS. Created during Tony Stark's stint in MIT, JARVIS is a multifunctional software program capable of tasks ranging from managing the building's entire security system to ordering its creator's favorite coffee. Stark Tower also has its own hospital, library, cafeteria, auditorium, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a helipad that can accommodate up to five Quinjets._

_Asked why he built such a massive tower, the twenty-year-old just shrugged and said, "So I don't have to drive to work; all I have to do is roll out of bed and go downstairs. It beats the hell out of sitting in traffic, I tell you that."_

-Excerpt from Modern Marvels magazine, June 2008 issue

* * *

"Why aren't you in bed? It's four in the morning."

Tony gave a startled yelp. He turned around and found Loki standing behind him.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! I swear you're like a cat or something." Tony picked up the wire cutter he had dropped in surprise. "JARVIS, I thought I told you not to let anyone in," he said, glowering at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry sir, but you haven't slept for three days. You did program me to look after your well-being, so I let sir Tom in," JARVIS replied.

"When I said look after my well-being, I meant never letting my booze and coffee supplies run low," Tony responded testily.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Your AI has more common sense than you," the god remarked. "Thank you for informing me, JARVIS."

"You're most welcome sir," JARVIS chirped.

"I created a monster. Now I have two naggers in the house," Tony grumbled.

Loki ignored the gibe and approached the enormous fish tank that spanned the entire wall. It was filled with different kinds of goldfish. Some had speckles, some had big, protruding eyes, some had long, flowing tails, but they all had one common characteristic: all of them were quite plump. 'They look like eggs with fins,' the god thought dryly. "What's with the aquarium? A new hobby of yours?"

"Nope. It's for my science soul mate," Tony replied flippantly.

"Science soul mate," Loki repeated. "Is that a real term or did you just make that up?"

Tony shot him a mildly annoyed look. "Do you remember Bruce Banner from Caltech? He presented a paper about nuclear physics back in our sophomore year."

The trickster thought for a minute, brows furrowed. "Bruce Banner? The gamma radiation expert?"

"Yup. I bumped into him at SHIELD headquarters after my meeting with Fury last week, and I invited him to come live with us. I read somewhere that aquariums reduce anxiety levels. Believe me, it's in our best interest to keep Bruce stress-free," Tony said.

"How so?"

"Well, he was working on replicating the super soldier serum using gamma rays and for some reason he decided to experiment on himself. Every time he gets angry or upset, he turns into this enormous green rage monster. Bruce hid from the government for two years, until SHIELD finally nabbed him," Tony responded matter-of-factly. He pointed at a circular glass cage in front of him. "I made this containment chamber just in case he accidentally transforms. I've been testing it for days now. So far, so good." The billionaire went inside the chamber and attached explosives on the wall.

Loki looked at the cage thoughtfully. "I'm surprised Fury agreed to this arrangement. How did you manage to convince him? And Bruce?"

Tony grinned. "I told Bruce he's not going to find a cure for his condition in that sad excuse for a workshop SHIELD calls a research laboratory. As for Fury, I told him I won't provide him anymore weapons if he doesn't give me Bruce," he snickered, remembering the look of utter fury on Fury's face. He should have taken a picture. "We geniuses gotta stick together, ya know?"

Loki cocked an eyebrow. "So let me get this straight; you basically invited a man with a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde complex to come live here, and the only thing to inhibit him from turning into an enormous green rage monster is a tank full of fish."

"I'm also throwing in smooth jazz and mood lighting," Tony said, brimming with optimism. Seeing Loki's dubious expression, the billionaire put on his patented hurt woodland creature look. "I was hoping you'd be ok with it," he said plaintively.

Loki waved a hand. "Hey, it's your tower. Do whatever you want."

Tony beamed. "Awesome. I promise you'll like him. Bruce is a pretty cool guy." The billionaire picked up a detonator and hid behind a dark green couch, while motioning for Loki to join him. The god tossed him a confused look.

"I'm using bombs to simulate the Hulk repeatedly punching the cage. If I did my calculations right, the glass will not shatter and stab our asses," Tony explained, ducking a bit lower behind the couch anyway.

"I feel so safe after hearing that."

Tony laughed and pushed the button. The explosions went on for a full minute, rocking the entire floor.

"Experiment one hundred percent successful. Congratulations, sir," JARVIS proclaimed.

Tony pumped his fist in the air and did a little dance. Loki looked on, amused.

"So when is Bruce arriving?"

"Today. I'm picking him up around ten," Tony said, totally excited.

"Better go to bed then."

"But I'm all pumped up," Tony argued.

"No. Go to bed. Staying up won't make time go faster," Loki chided.

"Yes mother."

* * *

The Bruce Banner that Loki remembered in the past was vastly different from the person who just walked in the lobby. Loki recalled a brilliant young man standing on a podium discussing his paper about boson field equations and triple-alpha process with confidence and ease, as if he was just talking about the weather. But the stress of living as a fugitive had taken its toll on him. He was pale and gaunt, looking like he had not had a decent night's sleep in at least a decade. His clothes were three sizes too big for his skinny frame, and they were patched and fraying at the edges. Bruce had the air of a shell-shocked refugee, clutching his duffel bag like it was his lifeline. Loki guessed that all of the scientist's worldly belongings were probably stuffed inside that little bag.

'No wonder Tony was so adamant to bring him,' the trickster thought. He saw Tony talking animatedly to Bruce as they made their way towards him.

"Bruce, meet Tom Smith, my brother from another mother," Tony said, introducing the two.

"I'm also his personal cook and therapist," Loki chuckled, shaking the scientist's hand warmly. "Hello Dr. Banner. I admire your work on anti-electron collisions. Simply marvelous."

Bruce flushed. "Thank you. Please, call me Bruce," the scientist replied, giving him a small smile.

Tony clapped his hands. "So, let's start the grand tour shall we?"

They went to Tony's floor first. Since it was on the 93rd floor, it afforded the best panorama of Manhattan. Tony didn't like anything obstructing his view so he installed walls made entirely out of smart glass. It functioned just like a one-way mirror; Tony could see everything outside but at the same time the reflective surface of the glass prevented outsiders from looking in. The glass also automatically filtered UV light and changed its tint depending on the temperature inside the room. Tony's residence contained a state-of-the-art home entertainment system, a fully stocked bar, a regular-sized kitchen, a large dining table, a billiard table, a pinball machine, a huge red couch, and various bean bags scattered all over the room. It had two spacious bedrooms, one for Tony and another for a guest.

"This is Candyland," Tony said, making a beeline for the coffeemaker. "Want some coffee, Bruce?"

"No thank you. I can't ingest caffeine or alcohol, it might let the other guy out," Bruce answered, embarrassed.

Tony looked horrified. "No booze or coffee at all? Don't worry buddy, we'll find a cure," he said, more determined than ever.

After that they went to Tony's two labs. Bruce wanted to stay and explore, but Tony bodily dragged him out. They went to Loki's place next.

Loki's floor was outfitted exactly like Tony's, except it was darker and cooler inside. Bruce noticed the kitchen was larger than average, all steel and gleaming surfaces.

"Welcome to The Abyss," Tony said, sniggering.

Loki scowled. "I like it cold and dark. Is that so wrong?" he retorted defensively.

"Why is the kitchen so big here?" Bruce inquired.

"Because Tony is hardly ever subtle," the god said, giving Tony a pointed look.

Tony gazed back at Loki innocently. "I'm only supporting your budding culinary skills."

"Right."

They went down another floor, to Loki's library. Loki's books were an eclectic mix of science, art, literature, history, business, poetry, and oddly enough, a complete set of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels.

"My collection is still in its early stages. But you're welcome to come here and borrow a book anytime you like," Loki told Bruce. The trickster was rewarded with a genuine smile from the scientist.

"And last but not least, your floor," Tony said, as he punched number 88 on the elevator.

Bruce started. "My floor?" he stammered. "Tony, I thought you said you had a spare room."

"Did I say spare room? I meant spare floors. You get two," Tony said offhandedly.

Bruce stared at the billionaire. The elevator dinged.

"Welcome, Dr. Bruce Banner," JARVIS greeted. Bruce looked up, surprised.

"That's JARVIS by the way. I call this place the Ocean Floor," Tony said, pulling Bruce out with him. "Do you like it? I designed it myself."

The scientist gaped at the room with wide eyes. "Tony, this is too much," Bruce spluttered. He looked like he was on the verge of crying.

Tony pretended not to listen. "I hope you like goldfish. I picked the mellow ones so they don't excite you too much. You have the same amenities you saw on previous floors." He led Bruce to the containment chamber. "You go here just in case you do your, uh, you-know-what. Don't worry, I tested it and it worked like a charm. Right, Tom?"

Loki nodded. "Sure did," he said, grinning at Bruce.

"Your lab is just downstairs, complete with all the latest equipment. If you need something, just tell me or JARVIS. I also installed another containment chamber as a precaution, but I don't think you'll need it. This is a completely stress-free environment." Tony put an arm around Bruce's shoulders. "So, what do you think?"

"I don't know what to say," Bruce responded helplessly.

"Say 'Thank you Tony, you're awesome and let's do kick-ass science together'," Tony said, smirking. Bruce looked like he was about to make a bolt for it.

Loki took pity on Bruce. "He did the same thing to me. Tony tends to go overboard, especially with people he likes," the trickster explained.

The billionaire looked sheepish. "We'd be honored if you'd stay here with us," Tony said earnestly.

Bruce let out a nervous laugh. "I feel like I'm going to wake up any second, and find out this is just a really good dream."

Tony flashed the trickster a pained look. Loki felt the same. Whatever happened to Bruce in those two years really did a number on him; the scientist didn't think he deserved to live like a normal human being.

"This is your home now, Bruce," Tony said gently. "And you have me and Tom."

Bruce looked at his shoes, overcome. "Thanks," he said, his voice cracking a bit. "That means a lot."

* * *

During the first few weeks Bruce acted shy and reserved towards Loki, but as the scientist grew more comfortable with him, the trickster found that Bruce possessed a dry sense of humor and was quite witty. While Tony was the master of double entendres and bad puns, Bruce was the virtuoso of deadpan one-liners. It was quite amusing to watch the two, and Loki started to like Bruce immensely.

The three were currently having breakfast in The Abyss. Another thing that Loki liked about Bruce was that he was not a fussy eater like Tony.

"Tony, have you read the books I gave you?" the trickster inquired, as he passed a plate of spinach omelet to Bruce. Loki was trying to get the scientist to eat more; he was still so thin.

Tony squirmed in his seat. "Um…no?"

"Tony." Loki's voice managed to sound disappointed and vexed at the same time.

"I'm sorry! But it's not like the board of directors will spring a pop quiz on us. And we still have a month to go," Tony reasoned.

Loki said nothing, but continued to give the billionaire disapproving looks.

"Tom, running a company is more about going with your gut instinct. You can't learn that from a book," Tony pointed out.

"Correct. But we need to have at least some rudimentary knowledge about how it works," Loki responded. "I don't want us running into this venture completely blind. I did my homework, I expect you to do yours," he said, while staring Tony down.

Tony held up his hands in defense. "Ok ok. I'll do it this week. Jeez," the billionaire grumbled, completely cowed. Tom was worse than any professor he had ever met.

The trickster beamed. "Thank you. How is Mr. Stane doing by the way? He's not sore with us replacing him, is he?" Loki asked concernedly. He was not entirely comfortable with the idea of someone getting demoted because of him.

Tony started laughing, almost spitting out his food in the process. "Obie? Hell no. Five years ago he had a head full of hair, but now he's completely bald and a raging alcoholic. He's moving to the Bahamas once we take over."

Loki dropped his fork. That didn't sound promising at all. "You didn't say that this job entailed losing one's hair and sanity."

"Relax. That's what toupees are for," Tony replied cheekily. "And you have me as your shock absorber," he added, winking at the god.

"That's very comforting," Loki said, rather sarcastically.

Then Tony's mobile rang. The billionaire frowned when he saw the name on the screen. "Excuse me," he said, suddenly serious, and stood up. He walked to the other side of the room, out of Loki and Bruce's hearing range. The conversation lasted only for a couple of minutes but when Tony came back, he looked tense.

"They found him," Tony announced. Loki noticed his friend was gripping his phone tightly.

"Who?" Bruce asked.

"Captain America."


	6. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Met- Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in New York

* * *

"What? Everyone thought he was dead," Bruce said, astounded.

"They never found his body remember? He was frozen in ice, somewhere in the Arctic. Coulson told me his vitals are stable." Tony looked at the phone in his hand numbly. "Dad was right," he muttered to himself.

"How did he manage to survive?" Loki inquired, looking stunned himself.

"I dunno. Maybe the serum's secret ingredient is antifreeze?"

Loki glowered. "That's in bad taste Tony. The poor man is going to wake up traumatized."

"Yup. Probably," Tony said, shrugging. He started picking at his food. After a few minutes, he excused himself and went upstairs without another word.

"What's up with him?" Bruce asked.

"I have no idea."

Loki waited for Bruce to finish his breakfast before going after Tony. The trickster found the billionaire sitting on the couch, staring at a box on top of the table. Loki recognized it as the carton Tony was carrying the first time they met.

Tony heard Loki approach, but he didn't look up. Instead, he motioned for Loki to sit beside him. "Remember this?" he said, gesturing at the box.

Loki chuckled. "How could I forget? Rule number two, don't touch your comics."

Tony smiled, but it didn't contain any humor in it. "Howard used to buy me Captain America comics as soon as a new issue came out. This is basically my childhood right here. It's all I have left to remember my father by." He opened the box and pulled out a comic book.

"My dad only cared about two things: his company and finding Cap. When he was not in his office, he was combing the Arctic looking for him. He didn't have time for anyone else, not even his family," the billionaire explained.

Loki stayed quiet. Tony never talked about his father, so it was a bit disconcerting to find him sharing bits and pieces about the enigmatic Howard Stark. Any fond memories Tony had shared with Loki about his family involved only Maria Stark or Edwin Jarvis.

Tony started flipping through the pages, just looking at the drawings. "Dad talked about him all the time. He kept going on and on about Cap being all good and noble, how he always did the right thing and never thought twice about sacrificing his life for his country or his friends. I always thought it was all bullshit, because nobody is that _perfect_." He paused. Loki watched as different emotions clashed across Tony's features.

"When Cap crashed his plane, everyone thought he was a goner," Tony continued, as he stared at a picture of Captain America. "With all that ice shifting about, it was nearly impossible to find the aircraft, much less his remains. Everyone thought he was crazy, but dad kept on looking. When I read his will, I found out he left a separate bank account for the sole purpose of continuing the search. Even in death he never let Cap go." He put the comic down.

"All my life I felt like my father cared more about Cap than me. And I was right."

Tony gave a slow exhale. "I suppose I shouldn't complain. Bruce had it worse."

"What about Bruce?" Loki asked, even though he was already dreading the answer.

Tony clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists. "Brian Banner physically abused his wife. One day he went too far, and Bruce saw the whole thing. Instead of prison, they sent Brian to a mental institution. Bruce was barely ten when all of that happened. He never saw or contacted his father ever since." He paused. "Some people aren't meant to be parents."

The trickster rubbed his temples, his heart heavy. And he thought he had issues. No wonder Bruce was Hulking out; he had plenty of reasons to be angry.

"We sure lucked out on our fathers didn't we?" Tony said caustically.

Loki shook his head. "All parents, even the good ones, break their children. That's just the way it has always been," he said, thinking about Odin and Frigga. Tony snorted in response. The god laid a gentle hand on his friend's cheek.

"Your father loved you." Loki gave the billionaire a fond smile. "He was simply a man who didn't have his priorities straight. Sounds familiar?"

Tony looked away. "I guess I inherited that particular trait from him huh?"

"You'll do better. And I know you will surpass him someday," Loki said with conviction.

Tony surprised him when he pulled Loki into a one-armed hug.

"Thanks Tom."

* * *

A week later…

"I want to pay Captain America a visit," Tony announced out of the blue.

The three were playing cutthroat pool in Candyland, with Bruce eliminating Tony out of the game. Only Loki and Bruce were left, and the trickster only had to sink the scientist's one remaining ball to win.

Loki's hand jerked, causing him to miss his shot. He narrowed his eyes at Tony. "Why?"

"I want to meet him."

"Is there any other reason?" Loki prodded, the game completely forgotten. He knew he had lost. Bruce played billiards like he was conducting a science experiment; he took into account the position of the ball on the table and adjusted the angle of his cue stick accordingly. Then he determined the amount of force needed, muttering his calculations under his breath the whole time. It amused Loki and Tony to no end.

Tony crossed his arms, looking aggressive. "Howard picked him over me, his own flesh and blood. I want to know if he lives up to the hype, if he's perfect like my dad said. I have every right to be furious, and I'm fully entitled to kick his ass. Are those good enough reasons for you?"

Bruce made his winning shot. "Seriously? Cap could punch you through the wall, you know," the scientist pointed out.

"What, you think I can't take him on?" Tony retorted, his hackles rising.

Loki sighed. "It's not fair to blame Howard's shortcomings on the Captain. What do you hope to accomplish by assaulting him?"

"Nothing. But it would make me feel a hell of a lot better," Tony replied coolly.

"Tony, slugging Captain America is equivalent to pissing on the Alamo. It's just not done," Bruce rationalized.

Tony made a face. "Who said anything about pissing? I made up my mind. I'm going."

"He's probably having a bad week and he certainly doesn't need a belligerent billionaire banging down his door. Give the man a break," the trickster reasoned, making one last ditch effort to dissuade Tony.

"I don't care," Tony singsonged. "You guys can come along if you want. I might need backup."

Bruce frowned. "And gawk at him like he's some kind of circus freak? That's not cool. No thanks."

"Ouch Bruce. You sure don't mince words do you?" Tony said, looking hurt.

"I'll come with you," Loki volunteered. Bruce gaped at him disbelievingly.

"Attaboy," Tony said, grinning. He skipped to the elevator, eager to fight with Cap.

"He's going to get pummeled. I thought you were going to stop him, not egg him on," the scientist said critically.

Loki laughed. "I'm not. Somebody has to keep an eye on that lunatic. We can't have a scandal erupting before Tony and I even take over the company."

"Sorry about that." Bruce gave Loki an apologetic look.

Loki waved it away. "Let's just hope the Captain doesn't have a short temper, or there's a high probability Tony will have his ass handed to him."

* * *

People stopped what they were doing when they saw a sleek, black limousine glide through the narrow street. Out jumped Tony, with Loki following after him. They were in Brooklyn, Captain America's old neighborhood.

"This is it," Tony said, as he checked again the address. They approached an ancient, utilitarian-looking building. "What a dump," the billionaire commented.

The building didn't look any better from the inside. It was dark and the paisley wallpaper that lined the hallway was stained and peeling. It looked like something out of a horror movie.

"Why did SHIELD put Captain here? It hardly looks like a place fit for a national icon," Loki remarked.

"Because this is where he lived before he got involved with Project Rebirth. Fury probably thought it would be easier for Cap to assimilate in the 21st century if he lived somewhere familiar," Tony explicated. "I thought they would at least spruce up the building a little bit. If I were Cap, I'd kill myself. This place is depressing." He looked around his surroundings with repugnance.

Cap's apartment was located at the end of the hallway. Loki knocked on the door.

Tony continued talking. "This is where happiness comes to die. It smells like cabbage and Bengay in here," he said loudly. At that moment, Cap opened the door.

What happens when your childhood hero, the man you had been reading about all your life was suddenly in front of you in all his glory? Howard Stark wasn't exaggerating when he said Captain America was perfect. Even Loki, who grew up surrounded by good-looking gods and beautiful goddesses, did a double take when he saw the national icon.

Tony didn't stand a chance.

Loki glanced at his friend anxiously. Tony was making small choking noises and was doing an excellent impression of a petrified statue. Tony stared at Cap, and Cap stared at Tony back.

Cap broke the silence first. "Hello. Can I help you?" he asked, a small frown marring his handsome face. Loki presumed Cap heard Tony's glowing review of his apartment complex.

The god stepped in, and extended a hand. "Good afternoon Captain. My name is Tom Smith, this here is Tony Stark. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Captain America shook Loki's hand, smiling. "Nice to meet you. Please, call me Steve."

Tony still had not said anything. Loki elbowed him in the ribs. "Say something," the god hissed from the corner of his mouth. This was the first time he ever saw the billionaire at loss for words.

"Is he ok?" Steve asked, scrutinizing Tony. His eyes widened when he noticed the strange young man in front of him shared similar features with his old friend. "Are you related to Howard Stark by any chance? How is he?" he said hopefully.

That seemed to snap Tony out of his trance. "Dad's dead," he said flatly, and then clammed up again.

Steve took a step back, as if Tony struck him. He leaned against the doorway for support. "Oh god. I'm so sorry, I…I didn't know," he stuttered. He looked like he was about to burst into tears.

The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. Loki wanted to throttle Tony for being so tactless. "We are sorry to be the bearers of bad news. Howard Stark died from an automobile accident five years ago," he said delicately.

Steve gave a quiet sniffle. The god noted Steve's eyes were wet. "Where are my manners? Come in," the soldier said, welcoming them inside. "Can I get you fellas anything? Coffee? Soda?" He started to bustle about in the kitchen.

"Sodas for both of us please. Thank you," Loki said. He nudged Tony again in the ribs. Tony didn't notice; he was too busy looking around Cap's apartment with wide, terrified eyes. Loki only noticed just now how extremely monochromatic it was.

"It's like I'm inside a cardboard box," Tony whispered, voicing out exactly what Loki was thinking. Every piece of furniture inside Steve's apartment was beige. Even Cap's khakis were a shade of beige. Loki watched Tony's mounting horror; the billionaire looked like he was seconds away from running out screaming.

"It's nice that you two visited me. I hardly get any visitors, aside from SHIELD people," Steve said, handing the cans of soda to Loki. Tony and Loki looked at each other.

"How is 21st century treating you so far Steve?" Loki inquired politely.

Steve chuckled, but Loki could tell it was strained. "I hardly venture out from my block. Everything is just confusing to me nowadays," he said, ducking his head in embarrassment.

The trickster's brows furrowed. "Pardon me for asking this, but don't you have any relatives or friends to talk to? Just to get you up to speed with things?"

"No, it's just me now," Steve said quietly. He flashed the god a brave smile. "I'll manage. It's no problem at all."

Loki regarded Steve closely. The super soldier was completely miserable in this place. 'What was SHIELD thinking, leaving a man out of time alone like this?' he thought. The god was outraged in Steve's behalf.

Then Tony spoke. "Would you like to be my neighbor, Mister Rogers? The Stark Tower has plenty of spare rooms." Loki stomped on his foot, making him wince. "I mean spare floors," he corrected. "You should live with me, Tom, and Bruce. Bruce didn't want to come because he said it's not cool to gawk at Captain America like he's a circus freak," the billionaire prattled.

Loki stifled a groan. He was seriously considering bringing duct tape every time he and Tony went out in public.

Tony was spazzing out now. "You don't have to stay here, because holy crap this place is a shithole," he blurted out. "Wait, that didn't come out right. I didn't mean it that way!"

Steve just gaped at him, bewildered by the suddenly talkative billionaire.

"Tony," Loki interrupted loudly, trying to salvage what little dignity his friend had left. "Would you be so kind as to wait in the car?"

Tony flushed pink. He looked like he wanted to object, but seeing Loki's expression he snapped his mouth shut.

As Tony made his exit, he paused at the doorway. "If it is any consolation, my dad never stopped searching for you," he said softly, then went out.

Steve took comfort in those words, smiling to himself. "He's just like Howard," the soldier observed wistfully.

Loki chose not to comment. "I apologize for Tony's behavior. But he's right, you don't have to live here alone."

Steve stayed quiet, lost in his own thoughts. He looked so sad and forlorn.

"Please consider Tony's offer. But in the meantime," Loki reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card, "if you need anything or you just want someone to talk to, don't hesitate to call me." He paused. "I know what it's like, to struggle with loneliness every day," he murmured.

The soldier took the card and Loki got up. They shook hands again. "Thank you," Steve mumbled.

Loki gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you around, Captain."

* * *

He found Tony sitting along the front steps. "I really put my foot in my mouth back there, did I?" he said, looking mortified.

"More like you jammed your whole damned leg in," Loki replied smoothly. "We really need to work on your brain to mouth filter."

Tony started wailing. "I blew it. Now he'll never come."

"An hour ago you wanted to beat him up. Now you want him to live with you. What happened to all that rage and bile?" Loki couldn't stop his eyes from rolling.

Tony pouted. "What, a guy can't change his mind?"

Loki suddenly burst out laughing. "Would like to be my neighbor Mister Rogers?" he said, mimicking Tony's voice. "Worst. Pick-up line. Ever."

"Bastard. It was brilliant." Tony punched Loki's arm. "Don't go disrespecting one of my favorite shows."

"I doubt he got the reference. I should start compiling all your lame pick-up lines and publish it as 'Tony Stark's Greatest Hits,'" Loki said, smirking. The two started walking towards the limo. "You always were a sucker for a pretty face," the god added, shaking his head.

"Don't tell me you don't find him attractive. I know you have a weakness for blonds too," Tony said accusingly.

Loki's cheeks reddened. "No I don't," he denied vehemently.

"Yeah yeah. Whatever," Tony said, as they climbed into the car. "What did you guys talk about?"

"I told him to accept your offer. And he will come, I'm sure of it."

Tony's face lit up, like Christmas had come early. "Wow, you sure are taking your wingman duties seriously."

"I didn't do it so you could get in his pants," Loki stated bluntly. "You just saw a man who has lost everything." He gazed at Steve's apartment as the car pulled away. "That's his personal hell, inside that ghastly place."

The god regarded Tony somberly. "Nobody deserves to be alone like that."

"Right," Tony said, looking chastened. He started calling people, giving orders to put up three additional floors. The billionaire also gave instructions to JARVIS to pick out the latest gym equipment. "Wonder what kind of furniture he likes?" he pondered.

"I think I should design his place," Loki said, giving Tony a pointed look. "I know you're going to pull out all the stops and freak him out just like you did with Bruce."

"Yeah but it all worked out didn't it?"

Loki glared at him.

"Fine. But absolutely, positively, no beige. And he's an art major so get paintings with naked women and flying babies on them. That's high art. No Pollocks though, it looks like a three-year-old sneezed on a canvas," Tony said, suddenly the art critic.

Loki chuckled. "Of course."

* * *

"How did it go?" Bruce asked, as soon as Tony and Loki arrived in the Ocean Floor.

"Tony fell in lust with Steve," Loki said airily.

"I can't help it! The man has the body of a god and a face sculpted by angels," Tony said, waxing lyrical about Cap. He stared off into the distance dreamily.

"Oh dear," Bruce said, taking in his friend's goofy expression. Tony looked pretty enamored. "You have it bad."

"Tony also made him cry, insulted his apartment, then asked him to move in with us," Loki added.

"I didn't insult his apartment. I insulted SHIELD's taste in apartments. There's a difference," Tony sniped.

"Same thing," Loki retorted.

Bruce started laughing raucously. "Woah Tony, you're moving pretty fast don't you think?"

"You should have seen his place Bruce. It was a beige nightmare," Tony exclaimed. He gave a full body shudder.

"Actually," Loki butted in, "the average color of the universe IS beige. If you mix all the stuff together you get something akin to tea with too much milk in it," the god revealed, his lips twitching. "So if you look at it in the cosmic scale, we are all technically inside a beige room similar to Steve's."

"Thank you for the interesting trivia Mr. Astrophysicist. It's still a fugly color though," the billionaire muttered.

"Which reminds me, do you want to help design his floor Bruce? I don't trust Tony not to go overboard," Loki asked the scientist.

"Hey!" Tony cried, looking offended.

Bruce grinned. "I'd love to."

* * *

Asking Bruce to help was a good move; the scientist provided plenty of terrific ideas. Loki and Bruce agreed on getting sturdy oak furniture with a dark finish as a contrast to the kitchen's white marble countertop. Loki purchased a large, royal blue sofa and red ottomans. The god asked Tony to install smart glass to let natural light in so Steve could sketch wherever he pleases. Loki assumed Steve was similar to Thor personality-wise; the thunderer enjoyed bright and airy surroundings so Steve would probably like it too. He didn't buy any paintings with naked women or flying babies, or sculptures, for that matter. He would rather have the soldier choose those himself, since Steve was the one who was going to have to look at it everyday. Instead the trickster procured books about art and some classics, remembering that Steve had shelves crammed with books in his apartment. The finishing touch was a vintage 1940s Wurlitzer jukebox that Bruce had suggested.

Tony insisted on giving Steve the latest entertainment system and installing JARVIS. Loki had reservations at first, but he eventually relented. Might as well acclimatize Steve to modern comforts; he was going to live in the most high-tech building on earth after all.

In less than a week, Steve's floor was fully furnished and ready for occupancy. The place was tasteful and luxurious, but not excessively so.

Tony whistled in appreciation. "Nice. If ever we suck as CEOs, we have another career as interior designers to fall back on." He looked at the jukebox with interest. "Once we get art stuff in here, let's call this place the Mini-Met. Pretty catchy huh?"

Bruce nodded. "Sounds good."

Then Loki's mobile rang. "Hello, Tom Smith speaking. Oh, hi Steve. How are you?"

Tony made frantic motions, telling Loki to put it on speakerphone. The god complied.

"Hi Tom. I'm doing good, thanks for asking. Um. I thought about what you said…if it's ok…I mean I don't want to impose on you fellas or anything…" Steve trailed off, uncertainty coloring his tone.

Loki helped him out. "Are you ready to move in with us? Your place is waiting for you Steve," he said soothingly.

A pause.

"Yes," Steve replied in a small voice.

Tony made a high-pitched noise that only dogs could hear.

"What was that? Did somebody just squeal?" Steve asked.

Bruce clapped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Tony shot the scientist a dirty look.

"That's just Tony's coffeemaker, it makes odd noises," Loki fibbed effortlessly.

"Oh, ok. I thought it was a girl," Steve said.

Bruce ran to the guest room and slammed the door. Loki heard muffled guffaws.

"Do you want me to send the limo over or do you want me to pick you up?"

Tony started jumping up and down, pointing at himself.

"Or do you want Tony to pick you up?" Loki said hurriedly.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd rather you pick me up," Steve said honestly.

Tony clasped his hands together, silently begging.

"Are you sure? Tony is available. It's no trouble for him at all," Loki asserted.

"Uh, to tell you the truth, Tony kind of intimidates me," Steve said.

The billionaire visibly deflated.

"Ok, I'll see you in an hour then. Bye Steve," Loki said, ending the call. Tony was staring at him. "What?"

"You cockblocked me. Again."

Loki fished his car keys out of his pocket. "I swear, I'm not doing it on purpose." Tony looked like he didn't believe him.

"You might want to clean your place up a bit. Don't want the real Captain America seeing all your comics do you? It might creep him out."

Tony squeaked and ran to the elevator. Loki's laughter followed after him.

* * *

Loki gave Steve some details on what to expect during their drive back to the tower; he didn't want the soldier to feel overwhelmed. The trickster prayed that Tony behaves and not pull any more stupid stunts.

The god gave the soldier the same grand tour Tony did with Bruce, going to Candyland first, The Abyss second, then the Ocean Floor. Tony and Bruce were waiting for them at Steve's place.

"Welcome, Captain America," greeted JARVIS.

Steve gave a little jump and clutched his shield to his chest.

"The ceiling is talking."

"Oh sorry Steve. I forgot about JARVIS. He's an artificial intelligence," Loki explained.

"A what?"

"He's our electronic butler," Tony clarified. "Hello Captain. What's crack-a-lackin'?"

Steve shot Tony a confused look. "Butlers come without bodies now?"

Tony started laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry Cap. I'm not making fun of you, but the way you said it…" gasped Tony. He spotted Loki and Bruce glaring daggers at him. "It's so cute," he finished lamely.

There was a pregnant silence.

Loki cleared his throat. "Steve, meet Dr. Bruce Banner. He's a very brilliant scientist, the best in his field of nuclear physics."

"A pleasure to meet you Dr. Banner," Steve said, shaking Bruce's hand.

The scientist looked at Steve in awe. "Please, just call me Bruce. I can't believe you are here," he stammered. It seemed that Tony wasn't the only fanboy in the tower. Or maybe the super soldier just had this general effect on people and only the trickster was immune.

Tony shot Loki a smug look. The god rolled his eyes in response.

"How do you like your new home Cap? It's way better than that hideous beige room isn't it?" Tony asked eagerly.

Loki wanted to smack Tony. To his surprise, Steve chuckled and blushed slightly.

"It is. Thank you for inviting me," Steve said genuinely, giving Tony a dazzling smile.

The billionaire swallowed a few times before he could get the words out.

"You're welcome."


	7. Waiting in Vain

Author's Notes: The poem is an excerpt from Sonnet XVII, by Pablo Neruda.

* * *

It was late at night and the whole kingdom was asleep, save for the god of thunder.

Thor was sitting outside his balcony, looking towards the Bifrost. He sighted a lone, dark-haired figure standing on its edge, staring at the darkness below.

Loki.

The thunderer didn't waste any time and rushed to his brother's side. Loki didn't appear to notice Thor's arrival.

"Where have you been? We were all so worried," Thor choked out, as he embraced Loki. It was like holding a slab of marble; his brother was so cold. "What happened?" he asked, gazing at Loki anxiously.

The younger god stayed quiet and continued to look at the void, completely fascinated with it. Thor's gut clenched with fear. There was something terribly wrong. He cradled Loki's face, trying to get his brother to look at him. "Loki? Say something, please," Thor begged. He glanced back at the observatory, frantically searching for Heimdall. The gatekeeper should have alerted Odin and Frigga already. They were completely alone.

Then Loki spoke. "I've always been here. You just never noticed me," he said softly. He disentangled himself from Thor's grasp and walked closer to the edge. Thor found himself unable to move. He struggled, trying to fight the invisible bonds holding him down, but it was futile.

"Brother, please. Come back home," Thor pleaded. The stars had dimmed and the air itself seemed to solidify. He couldn't breathe.

"Asgard is no longer my home," Loki replied emptily. He was nearly there; only one more step. He regarded Thor for a moment with an expression of profound sadness.

"Goodbye, Thor," he said with finality, and then let himself fall.

Thor woke up screaming.

* * *

Ever since Loki left, Thor hardly ever talked to his parents. Or anyone, for that matter. He didn't see the point of anything nowadays.

Thor had thought at first that Loki had gone off his usual jaunt across the Nine Realms. Loki liked to travel, often by himself, and he had always informed Frigga where he went. But as weeks turned into months, without any word from Loki, Thor became increasingly agitated. He began to pester Heimdall everyday for any news of his brother, if he could tell him Loki's current location.

The Gatekeeper couldn't provide him any answers. Heimdall was also baffled as to how Loki managed to evade his sight. "I can't find him anywhere, your Highness," he had said, his normally impassive countenance replaced with one of bewilderment.

Still Thor had waited, absolutely certain his brother would come back. The thunderer had planned to scold Loki for giving him and their parents grief. In turn the trickster would smile at him apologetically, and everything would be fine again.

Except Loki did not return as expected.

Seeing his son spent more time in the Observatory with Heimdall instead of running the kingdom, Odin summoned Thor in his private chambers. The All-Father finally told him of Loki's true heritage after a year had already passed.

Thor's rage against his parents was frightening in its intensity. A storm broke out over Asgard, the likes the Eternal Realm had never seen before. Rain poured out in torrents and destroyed the crops. Ferocious winds ripped trees from their roots. Lightning skittered relentlessly across the sky, and deafening thunder reverberated across the land. It was so violent that it looked like the sky was on the verge of splitting itself apart.

"Why didn't you tell him sooner?" Thor had roared at Odin and Frigga. The breadth of their deception, the sheer enormity of it, staggered him. They had thought they could keep Loki from discovering the truth. If Thor felt utterly betrayed, he could only imagine Loki's reaction.

His parents only gazed at him sorrowfully, guilt and regret painted on their features. They appeared just as devastated as he did. It made his fury dissipate as quickly as it started.

Thor fell to his knees, like a marionette with its strings cut. Frigga hurried to his side and cradled him in her arms. She made shushing noises, trying to calm him down like she used to do when he threw tantrums as a child. He didn't realize he was crying. "Why didn't you tell me?" he sobbed.

Frigga didn't respond; she knew words were useless now. She wept for her missing son and for the other she couldn't comfort.

She wept for her broken family.

* * *

Loki opened his door, and was surprised to see his brother barefoot and shivering outside his room. Thor had arrived from a campaign against the Svartálfar a day earlier than expected. It was Thor's first experience of genuine combat, since he was of age. Loki was still too young to be of any use in the battlefield, so he was left behind.

"What's wrong, brother?" Loki asked concernedly.

"I can't sleep."

The younger god opened his door wider, letting Thor inside. His older brother went straight to his bed and climbed in as if he owned it. Loki joined him moments later and pulled the blanket over both of them. They stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Loki queried tentatively.

"No."

"Then why can't you sleep?"

Thor didn't answer for a long while; he didn't how to put what he was feeling into words. He felt Loki's watching him, patiently waiting.

"I had my first kill today," Thor said finally, his voice sounding oddly detached.

Loki continued to look at his brother intently. "Go on."

Thor curled into himself. He was troubled, but he didn't want his younger brother to see him like this. "I thought it would be easy, taking someone's life," he confessed. "It wasn't." Thor couldn't forget the man's face as he cut him down, how the light extinguished from his eyes.

"You did what you had to do," Loki said gently. Thor felt Loki touch his shoulder, and he turned to face him.

"It is our duty to protect the Nine Realms. Our burden as princes of Asgard."

Thor closed his eyes as he heard the words drilled into them by Odin since they were children. "I know."

Loki shifted closer, and gathered his brother into his arms. It wasn't easy, with Thor being taller and bulkier than he was, but he managed it. He started carding his fingers through Thor's hair, knowing it would ease him into sleep. Thor gave a small contented sound and his eyes began to flutter shut.

"Thor?"

"Yes, brother?" Thor mumbled sleepily. He tilted his face upwards to peer at Loki. The younger god gazed back at his brother affectionately.

"It might not seem like much, since I'm not that strong or as skilled in battle like you," Loki said softly, giving Thor a rueful smile, "but I promise I'll always protect you, to the best of my ability."

Thor's heart swelled with those words. With Loki by his side, the prospect of being the future king of Asgard someday didn't feel as daunting. Loki would always guide him; he would never lead him astray.

"Thank you," Thor said sincerely.

Loki stroked his brow. "Rest now."

Thor laid his head on Loki's chest. He listened to his brother's heartbeat, its steady rhythm gently lulling him to sleep.

When Thor woke the next day he found Loki hunched over his desk, working on something. Sparks of different colors emanated from his fingers. Loki looked over his shoulder and gave Thor a tired, but happy smile. He looked like he had been up all night.

"I made something for you," Loki said, as he sat down beside his brother. He opened his palm and showed Thor two identical rings. Loki picked one up and slipped it on his finger.

Thor picked the remaining one and examined it. It had no engravings or precious stones on it, just a simple band of silver.

"These two are connected. If you're in trouble, my ring will alert me and I will come to your aid," Loki explained. "I put a tracking spell on yours, so I don't have to rip the Nine Realms apart looking for you if you decide to gallivant somewhere without telling me," he added, smirking at him.

The older god slipped the ring on his finger. Instead of feeling cold metal against his skin, it was warm, pulsing with magic.

"It is a fine gift, brother. I'm grateful," Thor murmured. He smiled at Loki fondly.

"Now I'll always have a piece of you with me."

* * *

Thor walked to Frigga's weaving room, after being summoned to have tea with her. He never voluntarily joined his mother for afternoon tea; him and delicate porcelain did not particularly mix well together. Usually it was Loki who sat down with Frigga every afternoon; no matter how busy he was he always made time for her.

As the thunderer stepped inside he was greeted by the sight of hundreds of different flowers, all of them in various stages of decay. These flowers must have been beautiful once, but now they had withered and faded. The floor was littered with dried petals. Thor wondered why the servants never bothered to clean the room.

"Your brother gave all these flowers to me. I can't bring myself to throw them away," said a voice behind him, as if reading his thoughts.

Thor saw Frigga on her knees, scooping up the petals. He bent down to help her.

"Why are they wilting now? That never happened before."

"A spell wanes if the caster is no longer around to sustain it," Frigga said despondently. "The protective spells Loki weaved around the palace are weakening too. It won't be long before all of it completely vanish." She started to painstakingly attach the petals back to the flower while whispering an incantation. It didn't take long before the flower looked fresh again, as if it was just picked from a garden this morning.

Both of them went to the balcony, and Frigga commenced pouring tea into cups. Thor didn't sit. He didn't think it was proper to occupy Loki's usual seat so he leaned against the balcony railing instead. The thunderer noticed his mother's eyes flick over the vacant chair beside her, and saw anguish there. If there was anyone in Asgard who mourned Loki's absence more than Thor, it was Frigga.

The empty chair seemed to mock both of them.

Mother and son sipped their tea, neither of them saying anything.

Frigga set her cup down. "You look weary, my son. Are you still having those nightmares?" she asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

Thor nodded.

"Have you gone to the Healers?"

"Yes, mother. I tried all their potions and none of them worked," Thor said tiredly. He turned away, gazing at the Bifrost below. "I see Loki fall into the abyss, night after night. What if he did jump?"

"Loki's not dead. He's just lost," Frigga countered fervently.

"It's been years, mother. Something must've happened to him."

Frigga hung her head. "Your brother is angry for the wrong we did to him. But I have faith Loki will return to us someday." She dabbed her eyes with a napkin. Just the thought of her son alone somewhere broke her heart; she still considered Loki as her little boy. While Thor was Odin's, Loki had always belonged to Frigga.

The All-Mother could only stare at her son helplessly. "He'll come back when he's ready."

"When? You know Loki's anger lasts for a long time. It might be centuries. Or not at all," Thor said, trying to keep his voice steady, willing himself not to let despair creep into his tone. He gripped the balcony railing so tight that it groaned in protest.

"I just want my brother back," he whispered.

* * *

"Whatever it is you're thinking right now, don't," Loki said. He was sitting at his desk, watching Thor pace angrily around his room.

Thor shot Loki a furious look. "How could you be so calm about this? Those Jotuns managed to get inside father's vault. They almost made off with the Casket." He started swinging Mjolnir around, picturing himself smashing a Jotun's head in. He was supposed to be king today, but those damned frost giants rudely interrupted his coronation.

"The keyword here is almost. They didn't even get near the Casket; the Destroyer made sure of that," Loki pointed out.

Thor paused mid-swing. He remembered the smoking, charred remains of those Jotuns, a good fifty feet away from the ancient relic. The smell of burnt meat still lingered in his nostrils. "Who says they won't try again? They might succeed next time."

"I already reinforced the protective spells around the palace. If someone is attempting to break in, all the guards will be notified immediately, including me. It won't happen again," Loki responded evenly.

"I should go to Jotunheim right now and teach those Jotuns a lesson," Thor growled, not listening at all.

Loki stared at his brother, incredulous. "I know you want to start off your reign with a bang," he said carefully, "but don't you think inciting a war is a bit excessive? Not to mention you're setting a bad precedent. That kind of aggressive foreign policy will cause Asgard a lot of problems in the future."

Thor gritted his teeth. Why of all people, did he get a pacifist for a brother? "Right now they are laughing at us. They see us weak and unwilling to fight. We need to show Jotunheim that we will not stand for this insult; Asgard's honor is at stake here."

"After you show them your incredible fighting prowess, then what?" Loki countered. "You're not thinking sensibly right now Thor. Have patience. You will still be king."

"You can't always hide behind words and magic, brother," Thor said brusquely.

Loki narrowed his eyes. "This is not about defending Asgard's honor and you know it. You're ready to put thousands of lives at risk for the sake of your pride; acting like a spoiled child who didn't get the shiny toy he wanted. If you want to be king, then act like one," he said scathingly.

Thor clenched his fists. Loki's comment stung more than it should. "Know your place, brother," he bit out. "What do you know about being a king? You'll never be one."

As soon as he said it, Loki's expression had gone flinty. Thor immediately regretted uttering those words.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it…" he stammered.

Loki cut him off. "You're just like them," he said, disappointment permeating every syllable. He gave a hollow laugh and shook his head. "It was foolish of me to think you'd be any different." He stood up and approached Thor. The thunderer couldn't bring himself to look at Loki in the eye; he was too ashamed.

"When are you going to realize that everything I do is for your benefit?" Loki said bitterly. "Why don't you ever listen to me?"

Thor looked up and his breath caught in his throat. He never saw Loki so pained before.

"If you don't want my counsel anymore, so be it. I am through coddling you," Loki spat, his lips curled in disgust. "Give it back."

Thor started. He covered the silver ring with his hand protectively. "Brother, please…"

"You seem to have everything all figured out. We're done," Loki said coldly.

Thor's ring vanished and he felt the loss of Loki's magic acutely. It was like a part of him got ripped out and he was not whole anymore. He couldn't speak; he gazed at his brother pleadingly instead. But it was no use; Loki had already withdrawn into himself.

Thor left without another word.

* * *

He didn't listen to Loki's warning and went to Jotunheim anyway.

The god of thunder was with Sif and the Warriors Three, and they were surrounded by hundreds of frost giants. Thor had planned to have an audience with Laufey and hopefully get some answers about those trespassing Jotuns. He was not there merely to fight. But when one of the Jotuns had called him a princess, things quickly went downhill from there.

Fandral was wounded and he was losing so much blood. He leaned on Volstagg for support, and the heavily bearded warrior was having a difficult time keeping Fandral upright while fending off the frost giants. Sif and Hogun were already showing signs of fatigue. No matter how many Jotuns they put down, many more took their place.

Thor thought he was hallucinating when he saw Loki heading straight towards them, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. The trickster had cut a bloody path, throwing knives as he went, not once missing a mark. One Jotun drove an ice blade into Loki's side, but the god slew him without breaking his stride, as if he felt no pain.

"What are you doing here?" Thor yelled, as soon as his brother reached him.

Loki rolled his eyes. "What does it look like? I'm saving your sorry hide, as usual," he shouted back. His hands were a blur; he took down a large group of frost giants in front of them in less than a minute. "I'm running out of knives. Where are those damned reinforcements?" he muttered aloud.

"You're bleeding."

"Thank you for pointing that out Thor. You're a real benefit to have," Loki snapped. He pressed his hand to his side to staunch the flow. His body was not healing itself fast enough. "Don't worry about me, worry about getting out of here alive." Seeing he had no more knives left, he unsheathed his sword. That didn't bode well. Thor knew Loki only used his sword if his magic was running low.

The frost giants continued their assault and Thor was getting worried; they could use reinforcements right about now. He heard Loki cursing beside him. He followed Loki's line of sight and saw that Laufey had come down from his throne to join the fray. Odin was the only one strong enough to fight the Jotun king, and even then the All-Father had lost an eye afterwards. Panic was coursing through the thunderer, and Loki, ever sensitive to his brother's moods, picked up on it.

Thor was startled when Loki grasped his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I'll get you out of this, I promise," Loki said, looking resolute. Something was off with the trickster's expression. What Thor felt a moment ago was nothing compared to the terror that surged through him now.

"Loki. No!" Thor exclaimed, horrified.

"Get reinforcements while I hold them off. I'll be fine," Loki assured him.

Thor didn't move.

"Thor! I don't have enough magic to get us all to the Bifrost site. If you don't go now, all of us are going to die," Loki snarled. He turned to the rest of the group. "I have a better chance surviving this than any of you," he said to all of them.

Sif and the Warriors Three looked mutinous.

"I can't let them take Thor. You know Asgard will fall without him. Please," Loki begged. He saw Hogun and Volstagg nod their assent. Sif shot him a look of respect. Fandral gave him a weak grin. "Just make sure you come back in one piece," he joked.

Thor started objecting loudly. He tried to grab Loki, but Volstagg and Hogun reached him first.

"Tell mother that I'm sorry," Loki whispered. He touched Thor's cheek.

Thor's vision swam then he blacked out.

* * *

By the time Thor had regained consciousness, he was back in Asgard and Odin was beyond furious. He found Loki supine on the floor beside him. The trickster's eyes were closed and he was deathly pale. The Jotuns broke Loki's arms and he sustained other major injuries. All the royal healers had flocked to the Observatory, desperately trying to heal their prince. Frigga gripped Loki's hand, face drawn tightly. Thor felt numb. He was the cause of all this.

The thunderer didn't protest when Odin declared that he was to be banished, as punishment for his arrogance and compromising everyone's safety. He was not given the opportunity to talk to Loki and beg for his forgiveness. He carried the guilt with him the entire three years he spent in Midgard as a mortal, until Odin decided he had learned humility and self-control.

But when he came back his brother had changed.

Loki was more taciturn than ever. He smiled less. He hardly spoke to anyone, even Frigga. Every time he tried to get Loki to talk, his brother told him he was busy and had to be somewhere else. The rare times Loki joined them during meals, Thor caught his brother staring at him, as if he was trying to memorize his face. This went on for months, and it drove Thor mad.

The thunderer barged into his brother's room unannounced, and he found Loki bent over his desk, signing papers. "Why are you avoiding me?" he demanded, determined to resolve whatever was wrong between them.

Loki kept on writing. "I'm not," he answered, not looking at him. He didn't offer any other explanation.

Thor tried again. "We hardly talked ever since I arrived."

"What's there to talk about?" Loki asked passively.

"I don't know. I just want to talk," Thor spluttered, feeling out of his depth.

Loki snorted. "Go ahead and talk then. It's not like I could stop you."

Thor visibly deflated. This was not how he pictured their conversation would go.

"Did you even miss me at all?" Thor blurted out. The whole three years he was apart from Loki felt like he was being flayed open; never had he imagined the pain of loss to be so intense. He needed some kind of sign, some reinforcement, that Loki at least felt a smidgen of emotion for him even after everything that had happened.

Loki put down his pen and regarded Thor for a moment.

"Of course I did."

Those four simple words opened the floodgates for Thor. Relief, gratitude, and remorse combined together, and it nearly overwhelmed him.

"Forgive me, brother. I should have listened to you. You nearly got killed because of me," Thor babbled, his words spilling forth, one on top of the other.

Loki's expression softened. "It's nothing. I would do it again if it would keep you safe," he replied, shrugging.

Thor started weeping. He reached for his brother blindly and Loki met him halfway. Thor held on tightly to the person who mattered to him the most. "I'm so sorry," he mumbled against Loki's neck.

"Please be more careful next time," Loki murmured, as he wiped his brother's tears away. "I won't always be around to look after you."

The thunderer stiffened and gazed into Loki's eyes, trying to figure out what he meant.

Thor saw grief and desolation there, and he couldn't fathom why.

* * *

Thor raced to Loki's room, as soon as Frigga released him from their afternoon tea. If what she had told him was true, he might be able to get a clue as to where the younger god went.

Loki stored all his important documents inside his desk. He had put so many spells and hexes on it that it was nigh impenetrable. Anyone who tried to open it either got cursed or badly injured. Or if that person was really lucky, both.

His brother always had a twisted sense of humor.

Thor approached the desk with trepidation. Last time he had attempted to pry a drawer loose, the next day his whole body was covered in hives. Centuries before that, when he and Loki had gotten into an argument, he threw Mjolnir at the desk. To his shock his hammer ricocheted off the surface and slammed back into his face. Loki had made fun of him about it for years.

He considered borrowing Gungnir from Odin, but that would probably not end well. For him, anyway. The desk would still be intact. If it was a sentient creature, it would undoubtedly laugh at him too.

Thor clenched his jaw. He refused to let a hunk of wood intimidate him. He brandished Mjolnir and gave the desk a light tap. It didn't bounce off. He gave a cry of triumph, as if he had just vanquished a mighty foe. The thunderer then used his cape as makeshift gloves, careful not to let his bare skin touch the desk. He warily slid a drawer open, anticipating any moment it would explode. It didn't.

Frigga was right. All of Loki's spells were gone.

Thor looked over his shoulder, expecting Loki to appear out of thin air and start screaming at him for invading his privacy. He quickly emptied all its contents, documents and sundries haphazardly thrown in together into one big pile. He separated the papers from everything else and began reading.

Thor sighed in frustration. All of them were outdated trade agreements and drafts of peace treaties. He had assumed that his brother kept a journal at least. Not giving up, the king of Asgard started knocking on the wood, hoping it would reveal a secret compartment. A hollow clunk at the right side of the desk confirmed it.

The small drawer revealed his missing ring. Thor thought Loki had destroyed it years ago. He slipped it on his finger and was dismayed that it didn't give off any comforting warmth like it used to. It was just an ordinary piece of metal now.

Thor was about to close the drawer when he saw a scrap of paper peeking out underneath. It had been folded many times and the words were starting to fade, but Loki's neat handwriting was still recognizable.

It was a poem. A love poem, to be exact.

Thor was stunned. He had never pegged his brother as the romantic type. Loki had never shown any interest in anyone; much less woo someone with a love poem. He had asked Loki once why he never courted a maiden; the younger god merely scoffed and told him he didn't have time for such trifles.

Thor's heartbeat pounded in his ears and drowned out everything else. He read it again.

_I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,_  
_or the carnation-arrow begot in flames._  
_I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,_  
_in secret, between the shadow and the soul._

_I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where._  
_I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;_  
_so I love you because I know no other way_

_than this: where I does not exist, nor you,_  
_so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,_  
_so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep._

The thunderer cradled his head in his hands and took deep steadying breaths. He felt gutted. Loki was besotted with someone and possibly eloped somewhere. Thor didn't know why the thought of his brother belonging to someone else upset him so much.

He straightened up. He needed to find out the identity of Loki's beloved. There was only one person who could tell him, and it was the goddess of love herself.

* * *

"Loki eloped?" Freya echoed, blinking at him. "No, he wouldn't do that. Not to our knowledge."

Thor was at Alfheim, the land of the light elves. The goddess of love was currently staying with her brother Freyr, the ruler of the Ljósálfar. The twins were surprised that the king of the Aesir just showed up at their doorstep, clearly distraught.

"You two are his best friends. He must've told you something," Thor insisted. "Please. Whatever it is that you know, tell me."

Freyr flashed him a sympathetic look. "I assure you Thor, all of our sorcerers are doing their best. If we come across a lead, you'll be the first to know."

Thor's shoulders slumped. It was one dead end after another. "How did he manage to do it? Even Odin's ravens can't find him," he said dejectedly.

Freyr tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Loki's most likely using a powerful magical artifact that cloaks his movements. He probably sealed his magic too. That's the only plausible explanation I could think of."

"What kind of magical artifact could he be using?"

"Practically anything. It must be small because he needs to keep it on his person at all times. A necklace, for example," Freyr explained.

"Or a ring perhaps? He always wears one," Thor remarked, staring at the band of metal on his finger.

Freyr nodded. "He needs to take the ring off for us to be able to track him down. Until then, all we can do is wait." He paused. "I'm sorry Thor. I'm sure Loki is fine, wherever he is right now," he said quietly.

The god of thunder smiled feebly. "I hope so."

"I don't know if this is useful, but there has been an unusual amount of activity going on at Jotunheim lately. Laufey has summoned all his allies, the fire giants and the dark elves. There are bands of them roaming around, as if they are searching for something," Freyr revealed.

"Or someone," Freya interjected. She observed that the king of Asgard had gone pale. "Thor, what exactly happened to Loki at Jotunheim?"

Thor stayed silent.

"If you're not going to tell us, I'm not going to tell you who is Loki's beloved then." The goddess of love tilted her head to the side. "That's what you came here for, isn't it?" she said flippantly.

Freyr gaped at her. "Freya. Please," he said, grimacing. She ignored him.

"We love Loki like a brother. I feel that we are entitled to know the reason why he disappeared," Freya barreled on, her tone hard. "You're not the only one who misses him deeply."

Thor looked down at his lap. 'What's the point of hiding it anyway?' he thought miserably. "Loki found out he's a Jotun," he said faintly. "He's Laufey's firstborn."

The twins were speechless for a moment.

"Loki is the lost prince of Jotunheim?" Freya gasped. "The stories are true then."

Freyr looked pensive. "We thought he was a Vanir or at least part Ljósálfar, actually," he commented.

Now it was Thor's turn to be dumbfounded.

"What?"

Freya gave him a put-upon look. "Haven't you noticed that you two look nothing alike? Loki has none of Odin or Frigga's features whatsoever."

Thor could only splutter wordlessly.

"Now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Jotuns have innate magical abilities. Mind you, most frost giants use magic solely for making crude weapons. An actual Jotun sorcerer is very rare, not to mention very powerful. Just look at the All-Father; and he is only half. Imagine a full-blooded one," Freyr said excitedly. Then his expression fell. "I don't think Loki reached his full potential yet. That's why Laufey is looking for him. He thinks Loki's a threat."

Freya looked distressed. "Brother, we need to find him before they do."

Freyr jumped to his feet. "I need to talk to father about this. Excuse me." He hurried off, leaving Thor with his sister.

Thor fidgeted in his seat. It was unnerving to be the target of Freya's scrutinizing gaze.

"Loki was going to leave eventually you know. My brother is just too polite to tell you," the goddess said finally. "Learning of his true parentage only hastened his departure."

Thor swallowed thickly. "Did Loki tell you that?"

"No. He didn't need to. It was pretty clear he was unhappy in Asgard," Freya replied simply. "Why wouldn't he be, with the way your people treated him?" She paused.

"Tell me, thunderer, would you stay in a place where you live in quiet desperation everyday?"

Thor averted his eyes.

Freya smiled disdainfully. "I didn't think so."

"You still haven't told me who Loki is in love with," Thor mumbled, desperate to change the subject. He didn't know if he could handle any more guilt for today. Thankfully Freya let it go.

"Well, who is the person Loki doted on the most?" she asked, staring at Thor expectantly. She only received a blank look in return.

The goddess of love made an impatient noise. "By the Norns, how dense are you?" she growled.

Thor still looked mystified. Freya threw her hands up in exasperation.

"It's you, you oaf."

"Excuse me?" Thor felt like he was going to faint.

Freya was ready to strangle him. "Sweet Odin. I can't believe the cleverest of the gods fell in love with an idiot like you."

"He's my brother," Thor said weakly.

Freya stopped her tirade. "So? You're in love with him too, the way you pine after him. The heart wants what it wants. It's not like you can do anything about it," she said coolly.

Thor was speechless. His feelings for Loki had always been dormant and hidden. As long as Loki was by his side, he was content to leave it at that. The goddess of love finally laid him bare.

Freya was now gazing at him morosely. "Nothing hurts quite like unrequited love." She gave a long sigh.

"I guess Loki got tired waiting for you."

* * *

Back in Midgard, while the god of thunder started having nightmares, the god of mischief had stopped dreaming.


End file.
